Honestly
by Kylie2060
Summary: UD 11.7 Set after Season Two finale. Haley has come home and Nathan has a difficult decision to make. Chapter 13 is finally up!
1. Home

**I revamped this first part and included the lyrics to Bethany Joy Lenz's "Honestly" because I wasn't sure if everyone has heard the song and realized how well it worked with Naley. And it is pretty much what my story is based on so I thought it would be important! Also- part four is up now so keep reading! Thanks for all the feedback guys! -Kylie

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****Nathan: "What happens if she comes back?"**

**Taylor: "Well then, it'll be your decision."

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**

Summary: Set after the season finale of season two. Haley has returned home to Nathan and now he has a difficult decision to make- let her back into his life or shut her out for good. Also- all of the chapters are titled after songs because I love how the show does that and it is such a powerful way to get my message across. The whole story is called Honestly- which is a Bethany Joy Lenz song!- that perfectly represents the Naley relationship throughout the show.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, or the song I used in this fic. It's called "Home" by Michale Buble and I thought it fit Naley perfectly- the bold parts especially!

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_Honestly, I didn't mean to cry so hard  
but the heartache was pouring in like rain.  
I didn't mean to show I cared.  
_**_Honestly, I didn't mean to laugh so loud  
but it just sounds so absurd to say that you want me,  
say that you need me  
after everything you've done.  
Really, truly, I didn't mean to hurt you.  
I just thought that maybe now,  
we'd have better luck the second time around.  
It's always better the second time, I hear._**

_Find me in the evening when you're  
ready to dance and I will  
take to the places  
where you never thought you'd have the chance to love.  
Love...  
**Love is all we have**.  
I will run myself in circles here without you._

_Please believe that I tried my best to forget you  
but the memories keep flooding back like tears.  
I didn't mean to fall in love.  
_**_But sitting here, just waiting for this is torture.  
I'm so glad you'refar away.  
Is that a terrible thing to say?  
Well, I wonder if you're okay..._**

_Find me in the evening when you're  
ready to dance and I will  
take to the places  
where you never thought you'd have the chance to love.  
Love...  
Love is all we have.  
I will run myself in circles here without you.  
Oh, I would run myself in circles here without you.  
_**_Oh, I've tried and tried and I can't hide from your love.  
Darlin', it's too late  
to show me your intentions.  
You know we've got to find a way to get past all the implications,  
every situation,  
every complication that we've come from.  
Love is all we have  
I will run myself in circles here without you._**

**_Darlin', love...  
Love...  
Love is all we have._**

_I will run myself in circles here  
without you._

"Honestly" by Bethany Joy Lenz**

* * *

**

**Chapter One- Home**

"Hi."

Nathan saw her standing there, surrounded by all of her luggage, and his first instinct was to reach out to her and hold her in his arms. He pushed that thought away, knowing that it wasn't the right one. He couldn't allow everything to be okay just because she decided to come back. It didn't excuse the fact that she left in the first place.

"Well, can I come in and talk?"

Did she honestly think it would be that easy? "Haley, I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"I went by the apartment and it was all empty. You moved out?"

"Yeah, there was no reason for me to stay there anymore. Besides, I'm trying to work everything out with my parents now, at least for my mom's sake."

"Nathan, that was our home."

"Haley, it stopped being your home the moment you left. It just wasn't the same there anymore."

"Please, let me in so that we can talk."

Nathan didn't know what to do. He didn't want her to come in because he missed her so much and he was afraid he wouldn't have enough self control to stop something from happening. Then again, he didn't want to just leave her outside and he knew he'd never be able to slam a door in her face. Reluctantly, he moved aside so that she could step into the house.

Haley followed Nathan as he walked towards the den. Her luggage remained on the steps outside; it was the last of her worries right now. Nathan took a seat on the couch and watched as Haley chose to sit at the armchair next to him.

"Nathan, I just want to say that I'm so sorry."

"Haley, you shouldn't have to apologize to me for wanting to follow your dream. It shouldn't have to be like that. Remember when I called you after my accident and told you to stay? I did want you to stay because I wanted you to continue following your dream. I wanted you to be happy."

"But I wasn't happy. I kept telling myself that I was, that it was what I wanted, but I was just lying to myself. I wouldn't have been truly happy unless you were there experiencing it all with me."

"It doesn't matter anymore, Haley."

"Did you really mean what you said before I left?"

"That it would be over?"

"Yes."

"I was mad, Haley. I ran back to the apartment as fast as I could, but when I got there you had already left. I was devastated, Hales."

He had finally said it. She had been waiting for him to call her that since she was standing outside the door. That was one of the things she missed the most, him calling her Hales. She could tell that she was getting somewhere with him. "Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"I guess it was mostly my pride. I was so angry everyday that you were gone, but mostly I was just upset. I acted like I was okay with you leaving, I basically acted like an ass for weeks. But I only did it to cover up how much I was hurting. And missing you. Then, I just started feeling sorry for myself for missing you so much but not having the courage to call you."

"Nathan…" she reached for his hand, but he pulled his away quickly.

"But then I did it, Haley. I surprised you, but you were too busy for me. Besides, I didn't feel like I belonged there anyway. That was when I realized I had lost you for good and how much I hated myself for not being more supported of you leaving. I just made it an easy choice for you."

"Nathan it was such a difficult choice for me!"

"But you did it anyway. Even though I said we were over if you left. I've never stopped thinking about that, how easy it was for you to throw it all away."

"I fought the urge to run home to you everyday! I stayed because I thought singing on stage and having a crowd scream my name would fill the hole in my heart. But it didn't, it just forced me to imagine your face in the crowd. It forced me to remember the time when I only sang for you and how happy it made me. I just got to this place where picturing your face wasn't enough and I actually had to see you in front of me. So here I am. I'm putting myself out there, just like you did for me. You can't imagine how miserable I was when I came back to my dressing room and you weren't there. I felt like such a horrible person for not getting on my knees and begging you to stay after everything I had put you through. And then something happened, Nathan, which suddenly made me understand exactly how you must have felt when I left to go on tour. The annulment papers were all of a sudden in front of me, all signed by you and ready for my signature. So I stayed because I figured you were tired of fighting, but now I just realize that it's my turn to fight for you."

"Haley, what are you talking about? I never signed any papers! I found them in Lucas' bag a few days ago and I was so heartbroken because I thought you had sent them with him for me to sign."

Before Haley could respond, the whole house was disrupted with the sounds of sobbing. All they could hear was Deb saying "Oh god, no…" over and over again. Nathan jumped up from the couch and sprinted upstairs, Haley just a few steps behind him. He ran into his parent's bedroom, where his mother was leaning against the wall for support, holding her cell phone in her hands.

"Mom, what is it? What's happened?"

"A fire… There's been a fire…"

"Mom, where? Mom, come on, talk to me!"

Deb lifted her head, but her gaze floated right past Nathan and right at Haley. "Haley, it's so nice to see you. I'm so glad you're home."

Nathan glanced back at Haley and she could see the fear on her face, so she did her best to stay calm. "Thanks, Mrs. Scott, it's nice to be home. Why don't we take a seat?" Haley walked past Nathan and took Deb's arm, leading her to sit on the edge of her bed. "Where's the fire that you're talking about? Do you remember?"

"The auto shop, they think that Dan was still there."

Haley turned to Nathan, beginning to get worried. Not only was his mother completely incoherent, but she was basically saying that there was a fire at Dan's work and they hadn't been able to rescue him.

"Mom," Nathan cut in, "if dad was in a fire at the shop, we should get over there right away, don't you think? I can drive you there."

"Yes, that would probably be a good idea. Let me just gather up a few of my things." With that, she rose from the bed and walked out of the room. She almost looked as if she were a zombie, completely unable to control her own movements.

"Haley…"

"Just go, Nathan, make sure your dad's okay. We can figure all this out later. I promise you, I'll be here when you get back. I'll wait for you."

Nathan nodded, his mind no longer functioning on a sane level. He wanted to know what happened with the annulment papers, but first of all he needed to know whether or not his dad was okay. It was a difficult choice, but right now his dad came first. There was nothing he could possibly say to Haley so he just turned and walked out of the room.

The only way he would stay in control was if he handled one thing at a time, which for the time being was getting to the shop. He would deal with Haley later, it wouldn't hurt to make her wait for him for a few hours. After all, he had waited for her for months.

But he couldn't help the voice in the back of his head that kept nagging him and bringing up a very important question. He hadn't signed those annulment papers, had never even considered it, so who the hell did?

* * *

_Another summer day  
Has come and gone away  
In Paris and Rome  
But I wanna go home  
Mmmmmmmm _

Maybe surrounded by  
A million people I  
Still feel all alone  
I just wanna go home  
Oh I miss you, you know

And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you  
Each one a line or two  
"I'm fine baby, how are you?"  
Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough  
My words were cold and flat  
And you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane  
Another sunny place  
I'm lucky I know  
But I wanna go home  
Mmmm, I've got to go home

Let me go home  
I'm just too far from where you are  
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life  
It's like I just stepped outside  
When everything was going right  
And I know just why you could not  
Come along with me  
But this was not your dream  
But you always believe in me

Another winter day has come  
And gone away  
And even Paris and Rome  
And I wanna go home  
Let me go home

And I'm surrounded by  
A million people I  
Still feel alone  
Oh, let me go home  
Oh, I miss you, you know

Let me go home  
I've had my run  
Baby, I'm done  
I gotta go home  
Let me go home  
It will all right  
I'll be home tonight  
I'm coming back home

_-"Home" by Michael Buble_

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Hope you enjoyed! Please read and review and the second part will be posted soon! This was my first ever One Tree Hill fanfic so I hope I did a good job- I always do my best to stay in character. 

Kylie


	2. To Fall in Love Again

Haley was awoken when a tiny bit of light floated into the room. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but after around 3 in the morning it had been hard for her to stay awake. Glancing in the direction of the light, she saw Nathan coming into the spare bedroom she was in, quietly closing the door behind him. At first she was going to put her bags into Nathan's room, but she wasn't sure how he would react if he saw them there.

"Hey, I'm awake."

He turned around towards her and for a moment he looked like a child who got caught sticking his hand in the cookie jar right before dinner. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."

His hand reached for the doorknob, but before he could leave Haley stopped him. "Nathan, come here. Come talk to me."

"Why does it have to be this difficult, Hales?" He hadn't meant to wake her up. Even though he had known it wasn't a good idea to sneak around, he had only wanted to lie in bed next to her and get a few good hours of sleep. Ever since she left, he hadn't been able to sleep a whole night through. There was just such an absence without her lying perfectly in his arms. It was selfish, he knew, but there would have been no hope of him staying away from her anyway.

"Nathan, it doesn't have to be. Just come sit down and tell me what happened. Is Dan okay?"

Nathan walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. As Haley sat up, he couldn't help but notice that she was wearing his sweatshirt. It was the same one she had worn when Lucas had come to say goodbye, the morning after they were married.

When she realized what he was staring at, she began to take it off. "I'm sorry, I was just cold and I didn't think you would mind."

"No, it's fine, I don't mind. It just had me thinking about things."

Haley smiled. "I know what you mean. Now tell me about Dan, did they get him out?"

"Yeah, but he's really badly burned. He has third degree burns over a large portion of his body and he's still unconscious. Right now they are just doing their best to treat the burns and waiting for him to wake up. It's so hard to tell how the fire started because there was so much destruction. The police are hoping Dan can help them out when he comes to, hoping he has some kind of information. My mom's still in shock though. I tried to get her to come home and get some sleep, but she refused to leave the hospital."

"Well, of course, she wants to stay with him. I'm sure she wants to be there when he wakes up."

Nathan stood up and began pacing the room. "Is it horrible that I don't care if he doesn't wake up? I mean after everything he's done to screw up my life, to screw up us, I just don't even care about him. I just hate what he's doing to my mom. She was finally going to leave him, and even while he's dying he has found a way to keep her around. God, I can't believe I'm saying this."

"Nathan, it's fine, you have the right to feel however you want to feel. Your father has done some pretty horrible things and no one can blame you for feeling that way. But what do you mean, how did he screw us up?"

"I didn't sign any annulment papers, Hales, I never once even thought about doing it. Dan wanted me to, but I refused. I think he probably forged my signature."

"Oh, god, I don't know how I was this stupid. When I got off stage and he was waiting with the papers in his hands, I couldn't believe it. But then when I saw your signature I couldn't help but think it was what you really wanted. In the back of my mind though, I had so many doubts. I just knew you wouldn't give up that easily and that's why I didn't sign them. I sent them back with Lucas, but without my signature. I wasn't going to sign them until I had talked to you, directly."

"Wait, wait, wait. So he came to you, while you were on tour? I can't believe it, well yeah I guess I can. He just such an ass! It's just all so messed up. I hate him, but I would feel horrible if he died."

"Nathan, you just have to take it one step at a time."

Nathan smiled. "That's exactly what I was telling myself earlier tonight. So you didn't sign the papers, huh?"

"I just couldn't do it, my heart was screaming no. That was when I truly realized being on tour wasn't the place for me. There was just such a big hole in my heart and I knew you would be the only one able to fix it."

"Chris couldn't do it?"

Haley shook her head. "I was wondering when you were going to bring him up."

"Well, he was a big reason why you stayed so long, wasn't he?"

"No! My being on tour had nothing to do with him, I would have gone even if he wasn't there. It was something I needed to do for me, I had to see for myself how much being without you hurt."

"So the sex wasn't great, huh?"

"Nathan, that was completely uncalled for. I can't even believe you just said that." Haley shook her head and rested her cheek against her palm.

"You're right. I'm sorry, it just came out. Guess it was something I had wanted to say in my head when I used to rehearse this conversation. It didn't feel as good as it used to." Nathan started to walk back over to the bed, but as he walked by one of her bags, he accidentally knocked it over and a stack of letters fell out. He couldn't believe what he was looking at.

"What is this? I can't believe it, are these letters he wrote to you? And you what, come back here expecting to make everything right, but meanwhile you're pen pals with that jerk?"

Haley quickly stood up and ripped the letters out of his hands. "You weren't supposed to see these. But it's not what you think."

"Oh, really nice, Haley. Still keeping secrets, I see." He wasn't going to let her off that easy, he needed to read at least one of them to see what it said. After all, he had to know how big of an affair his wife was really having. Haley took her eyes off of his for one second, and as she did he took the letters back out of her hands.

"Nathan, please, don't." She didn't fight him anymore though. She just sat back down on the bed as he sat down across from her, removing the first letter from the stack. But as he sat back down, he noticed something that he hadn't seen the first time he held them in his hands.

They were all addressed to him.

"Hales…"

"I tried to write you one everyday, but sometimes I would get so busy that I would just write during my spare time."

"How come you never actually sent them to me?"

"Well, mostly because when I left I knew that you weren't too happy with me and I was really worried that you would have just thrown them away. So after awhile they became sort of my therapy. It became my way of reaching out to you and my way of letting you know what I was doing, even if you weren't truly listening. It just became so hard and these were really the only way I got through each day."

Nathan flipped the letter over and removed it from the envelope. He knew she probably didn't want him to, but he began to read the letter out loud. It broke his heart to read what it had to say, to realize how difficult of a choice she had made.

_"Nathan,_

_Today was the first day waking up without you lying here next to me and it was much harder than I expected it to be. I know you probably hate me right now, but one day I hope you realize that I had to do this for me. It was easily the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life. I wish you could be here to live my dream with me, but I understand you have your own dreams to fulfill at home. When the time comes, apply for High Flyers again. You got in last time and they would be crazy not to ask you to audition again. Just don't make the decision for anyone else but yourself. If you don't want to go, that's fine, but make sure nobody else decides for you._

_So far, it's been scary here. I basically don't know anyone and this place is so huge compared to Tree Hill. I miss everyone from home, but most of all I miss you. I just wish I could hear your voice, even if it was just you yelling at me and telling me how horrible of a wife I am. I am a horrible wife, for putting you through this, and there are so many regrets running through my mind. But hey, no regrets, right? I know that one day you will understand my decision, even though it doesn't seem possible right now._

_They say I might get to be on TV, it's pretty crazy. Just don't listen to whatever you hear that may be hurtful. Know that I love you, and only you. I miss you and it hurts, but for now writing this letter will just have to do._

_I will love you forever,_

_Haley"_

Nathan looked up just as Haley was wiping a tear from her cheek. He couldn't believe he was actually holding this letter in his hands. It said everything that he had wanted to hear from Haley throughout the past few months. "Hales, three things: I've never hated you- just the whole situation we were in, second you aren't a horrible wife- you were just following your dream and I was making it difficult on you, and lastly I did apply for High Flyers and I'm going to Florida."

"Oh, Nathan! That's great, I'm so proud of you!"

"I'm leaving in a week." Nathan was so confused. Before Haley has showed up, everything was so simple and he had wanted to go to High Flyers. Now she was here and it was the last thing he wanted to do, he wanted to stay here and fix things between them. But he had stayed here for her last time, and look how that had turned out.

"Wow, that soon, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we don't have to talk about that right now. I'm so glad that you are going, you really deserve it more than anyone." Haley forced herself to smile.

"Thanks, it really means a lot to hear you say that." Nathan glanced over at the clock. "Wow, it's already four in the morning."

"Yeah, maybe we should try and get some sleep, huh? I'm going to go get ready for bed." Haley went into her bag and grabbed some pajamas before heading into the bathroom of the spare bedroom. As she did, Nathan caught a glimpse of something, but he didn't truly believe his eyes until he held it in his hands. It was the robe that he had bought her on their first date, after Brooke had sent them to the lingerie store. He smiled and carefully placed it back into her bag. For some reason it made him happy, almost like she had taken a part of him with her on the road.

Nathan looked back to the end table where he had placed the stack of letters. Removing the last one of the pile, he sat down to read what it said:

_"Nathan,_

_I'm coming home tomorrow and I'm a little afraid of how you will react. We haven't talked in awhile, not since your accident when you told me not to come home. Not since you told me to follow my dreams. Well the ironic thing about that day was I realized the dream I was living was not the one I thought I wanted for myself. I've been preparing myself since that day to come home, to finally be where I belong._

_I hope you don't push me away when you see me, or slam the door in my face. I hope you realize that Chris was just an image, and never an attraction. I hope you see he had the life I wanted, or thought I wanted, and that's the only reason why I went with him. I hope you see that I love you more than life itself and I still can't understand what I did to deserve you. I hope you also see that you supported me more than anyone else and that support gave me the courage to leave in the first place._

_Remember the night of our wedding, when I was afraid that we were making a mistake? You told me that you would always protect me and you would always be there for me. Well I've let you down because I wasn't there for you, but I'll never forget that night. You made me feel so safe and so sure of what we were doing, even though I had my own doubts. You NEVER had any doubts about us, but somewhere in the back of my mind I didn't completely trust myself. But now I do, I know without a doubt that we didn't make the wrong choice. I hope you make the right choice tomorrow and give me the chance to at least talk. It would hurt so much, but I would understand if you never wanted to talk to me again. I probably wouldn't allow it though. I will fight for you until the day I die, and I promise to never take the easy way out. We're both in this for the long haul._

_I can't wait to see your face and hold you in my arms. I know it may take awhile, maybe even years, to get back to where we were. I will never stop trying, I will never stop being your wife, and I will never stop loving you. Always remember that._

_Haley"_

Nathan placed the letter back at the bottom of the pile and then headed off to his bedroom so he could get ready for bed.

When Haley stepped out of the bathroom and saw that Nathan was gone, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she was going to have to accept sleeping a few doors down from him. Being on the road, she had missed the warmth of him lying next to her every night, but it wasn't her place to crawl into Nathan's bed. She would let him decide when he was ready for that. Pulling back the covers of the guest bed, she climbed in and did her best to make herself comfortable. She reached over to turn the lamp off and closed her eyes to try and get some sleep.

No longer than five minutes had passed when she heard the bedroom door being opened. She looked up to see Nathan walking into the room. "Did you forget something?"

To her surprise, he didn't answer; just pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed next to her. "Is it okay if I just lay here with you tonight, and maybe hold you in my arms?"

Haley couldn't help but smile. She didn't give him a verbal answer, just laid her head down on his chest and allowed him to drape his arm around her back. "Nathan… Your heart is beating so fast."

"I'm worried, Hales, and afraid."

She picked her head up and rested her chin on his chest. "About what?"

"It feels so good to be holding you in my arms right now, but who knows how long we'll be together this time. What else is going to come between us and pull us apart? I just keep thinking about the first morning we woke up together as a married couple, and we promised to always be that happy. But it didn't last, Hales. And I'm so afraid to just pick up where we left off, what happens if we just end up in the same place?"

"Nathan, we both knew that we couldn't possibly be that happy all the time. Relationships take work, and look how hard we're willing to fight for each other. And like we said before, we just have to take it one day at a time. If it feels right- then it's right, but if you feel like you want things to go slowly then that's fine with me. I don't care, I just want to be with you. I mean after this year, it's going to take a hell of a lot to keep me away from you. I'm telling you, after this week you are going to be glad to be going to Florida."

Nathan laughed, gently brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "See that's just the thing, now you're here and I have a reason to stay. I want us to work everything out."

"Nathan you are going to that camp. I won't be the reason you stay here, so you better have a really good back up excuse if you don't get on a plane in a week. I'll still be here when you get back and maybe they'll even allow a conjugal visit."

"Oo sounds good, I'm sure the other jocks will be very jealous of me."

"You bet they will, now can we get some sleep?"

Nathan nodded and kissed the top of Haley's head as she rested it back down. Having her in his arms felt so surreal, but so right at the same time. For the past few months, he would have never guessed that he'd be lying in bed next to her. She only came to him in his dreams.

But she was here, and if there was one thing he was sure of it was that he was falling in love with her all over again. And nothing had ever felt so right the second time around.

It didn't take much longer for both of them to float into a blissful sleep…

_So faithfully  
Holding tight to every dream I thought our love would ever be  
As the scent of hope slips through my fingers plain for me to see  
I can feel now in your eyes the changing way you look at me  
Where's the love we knew would last us eternally_

_And will your arms still hold me  
And your eyes console me, baby  
Please don't turn your back and just pretend  
That your heart still needs me  
And your soul completes me  
Can we find a way to fall in love again_

_It's hard for you  
When your heart has opened up to feelings that you never knew  
Never thinking that you'd doubt our love you don't know what to do  
I'd give anything, my heart, my soul if i could pull you through  
Just to find again my love we hold so true_

_And will your arms still hold me  
And your eyes console me, baby  
Please don't turn your back and just pretend  
That your heart still needs me  
And your soul completes me  
Can we find a way to fall in love again_

_And as every night goes by  
With every lonely tear I cry  
It's so clear to me  
I need you by my side_

_And will your arms still hold me  
And your eyes console me, baby  
Please don't turn your back and just pretend  
That your heart still needs me  
And your soul completes me  
Can we find a way to fall in love again_

_Can we find a way to fall in love again  
Oh baby, I need you to love me for the rest of my life_

_If we fall in love again  
Would you love me for the rest of my life..._

_- To Fall in Love Again by Jessica Simpson -_

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Hope you enjoyed part two! Part three will be done as soon as possible- thanks to everyone who reviewed the first part, I love feedback! 

Kylie


	3. Take My Hand

**Chapter Three- Take My Hand**

Haley woke up the next morning to the most wonderful feeling- being surrounded by her husband. He was spooned up behind her, his arm draped possessively over her side. Their fingers were entwined and she could feel his steady breathing on the nape of her neck, where his nose was resting gently. As carefully as she could, she rolled onto her other side so as not to wake him up. Exactly as it used to, his body moved with the movement of her body. His arm was still draped over her stomach, but now his leg had moved over both of hers and pulled them towards his body. Haley couldn't help but reach out and touch his face, her fingers gently sweeping over his cheekbones and his lips. It felt nice to feel Nathan's face lean into her touch, considering he was asleep and not conscious of his actions.

"Nathan…" she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "It's already two in the afternoon, you should probably get up."

"I don't want to, I want to lay in bed all day." His eyes opened as he rolled onto his back, pulling Haley with him so that her head was resting on his shoulder.

"How long have you been up?" she asked, gently poking his side.

"Long enough to feel you playing with my face." He couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, god," Haley brought her hands up to her face. "You know you liked it."

"Well, I didn't say that I was complaining. Hales…" he paused slightly, "I'm really glad that you came home last night. I know that I might not have acted like it at first, but I was losing it here without you and I don't know how much longer I would have made it."

"I know that I wouldn't have made it another minute there. I was so ready to see your face I would have run all the way home dragging my luggage behind me. Or I could have punched my manager in the face because he was really the only thing holding me back. I would have been back a lot earlier if he wasn't such an ass."

"Seriously? Um, can we drive over there right now so I can kill him for keeping me from my wife?"

Haley laughed and nodded. "Yes, yes you can. As long as I get to help."

"Well we'll just have to find you an even better manager I guess."

"Another manager?"

"Yeah, it's sort of hard to have a singing career without a manager."

"But Nathan…"

"No buts, Hales. We have to promise each other that we will make this marriage work and follow our dreams. I think your goal while I'm at High Flyers should be finding yourself a new manager."

"Okay then your goal is signing an NBA contract, deal?"

"Okay, we'll deal with both of our goals when I get back. Does that sound better?"

"Yes, much. How would you feel about me singing at TRIC while you're gone, if Peyton lets me?"

"Well even though I'm going to miss hearing you play, I think it would be wonderful."

"Well maybe I'll give you a private show before you leave." Haley laughed and winked at him.

"Oh really…" He couldn't help but reach down and tickle her sides, where she was the most ticklish.

"Nathan, stop!" Haley burst out laughing and did her best to slap Nathan's hands away. In their struggle Nathan somehow ended up on top of Haley, with their faces close to each other and their noses almost touching. They both paused, Nathan's hands resting on Haley's hips and hers on his shoulders. They were so close, only had to lean forward slightly and their lips would be touching…

The ringing of Nathan's cell phone disrupted the moment. "Sorry, Haley, I have to answer that. It could be my mom."

"No, it's fine, I totally understand."

Nathan carefully rolled off of Haley and picked his phone up off the floor next to the bed. "Hello?... Hey mom… Yeah, no problem… I'll be there as soon as I can… See you soon…" He tossed his phone back onto the floor and turned back towards Haley. "I have to head over to the hospital, I guess there's been a change in my dad's condition."

"Okay, well do you want me to make you some breakfast while you get ready?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me, for moral support?"

"Are you sure? I mean, yeah, I'd love to."

"Good, cause I could really use you there. It'll make it a little easier."

"Well that's really good for me because I didn't want to let you out of my sight anyway. Now let's get changed, grab a quick bite to eat, and head to the hospital. Okay?"

Nathan nodded and quickly kissed her forehead before jumping out of the bed and heading to his bedroom. Haley couldn't help the smile that her mouth formed from cheek to cheek. She grabbed some fresh clothes and went to the bathroom to change.

A half an hour later they were in the elevator at the hospital, heading to Dan's room. "So how do you think your mom's going to react when she sees me?" Haley asked. "Last night she was happy, but I think it was probably the shock."

"Well, we all had some pretty big shocks last night, but I think she'll be happy to see you. She saw how upset I was when you were gone, and I don't think she ever wants me to go back to that place, so she should be pretty okay with it."

"I don't want to ever send you back to that place."

Nathan reached between them and took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "Neither of us will be back in that place, ever again. Cause see, you are going to have a real tough time getting rid of me again."

"Well good, cause the same goes for me." She lifted their hands up and kissed the back of his. "For better or worse, right?"

"Exactly." The elevator came to a stop and they followed the directions the receptionist had given them. Nathan held tightly onto Haley's hand as he walked into the room she had told them. Haley had expected to see a grotesque sight, but instead it was just a mummified Dan, covered from head to toe in bandages.

Deb stood up as they came closer to the bed. "Nate, it's not as bad as it looks. I mean, it's bad, but not all that is bandaged is burned. They just did that to properly cover the bad parts." She pulled her son into her arms and took a deep breath. "Well, I guess you saw it last night. I'm sorry about that, honey, I was just in such shock."

"It's okay, mom, I understand." He sat down in one of the chairs at Dan's bedside.

"Haley," Deb said, pulling her into her arms also. "I'm so glad that you've decided to come home. I'm hoping it's a permanent stay?"

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere unless this one goes with me. Well, I guess that rule will be applied after he gets home from High Flyers."

Deb smiled as she pulled back. "That makes me so happy to hear. You know the first year is the hardest, and if you two are this happy at the end of it, then you're going to have one hell of a life together. I'm so glad you worked everything out, it's the way it should be."

"Thank you, Mrs. Scott."

"Please, call me Deb. Or I guess Mom, because we never really had that discussion. I know we weren't supportive of you guys, but I can feel the love radiating off you two by just standing in the same room. And that's all that really matters, there's nothing else. I've begun to understand that now."

Haley sat down next to Nathan, wrapping her arm around his as he placed his hand on her leg. She completely agreed with Deb, all they needed was love, and they had plenty of that. They always had.

"Well, he woke up for a little bit earlier, that's why I called you. I feel bad, I probably got you out of bed for nothing. You were sleeping, weren't you?" Deb asked.

"Well, we kind of were, but it's really okay. I was planning on coming as soon as I woke up, anyway. So, did he say anything when he woke up?"

"He said 'I'm sorry' about fifteen times, I can't really figure out why though."

"Well this is the second time he's nearly died- maybe it's getting to him. What did the police say today?" Last night they had been pretty quiet, just asked Nathan a few questions. Like if Dan had any enemies, which Nathan had only been able to laugh at. Nathan hadn't been much help to them.

"Well they're saying that it was either foul play or suicide. They won't know until they determine how the fire was started, or if Dan wakes up. I'm going to be brutally honest with you though, they found traces of painkillers in his blood."

"So do they think he was trying to kill himself?"

"Well they really can't answer that until Dan wakes up and tells us himself."

"You honestly think he would admit to it? I mean, first of all it doesn't even sound like something he would do. Second of all, I think he would have too much pride to admit he was struggling and unhappy."

"I don't know, Nathan. Right now there are just too many possibilities."

"You know what," Haley said and standing up, "I'm kind of thirsty. Do either of you want me to get you something to drink?"

"I would love a coffee. Thank you," Deb said.

"No, thanks, I'm good." Nathan answered.

Haley smiled and kissed Nathan on the top of the head before heading towards the cafeteria.

Deb smiled as she watched Nathan eyes follow Haley until she was out the door. "I'm really glad she's home, I can see just how happy she makes you. It looks like you guys were able to work everything out."

"Yeah, mostly. We're still both a little hesitant to jump right back into where we left off, but we talked for awhile last night and sorted a lot out. There were a few things standing in our way, but after realizing we had both made mistakes it made it easier to see how much we missed each other."

"What do you mean?"

"Well for starters, Dan forged my name on annulment papers and brought them to Haley. He made her believe it was what I wanted and that I didn't love her anymore. Meanwhile, I was here convinced she was cheating on me when really she was writing me letters nearly everyday telling me how much she loved me. She just never sent them because she thought I would have thrown them away, which she was probably right."

"Well, I'm glad that you two worked everything out. People make mistakes and sometimes it just takes awhile for us to figure out that we're truly not happy with our decisions."

"Speaking from experience, Mom?"

"Maybe… But there's really only one thing I regret in my life, and that's letting Dan treat me like a puppet. When he wakes up, I'm not going to let that happen again. I need to figure out who I am, on my own and without him. I don't want to end up again where I was this year, I shouldn't have to numb myself through life."

"Good for you, Mom."

"Yeah, well if only he would wake up so I could start that new life sooner rather than later."

* * *

Lucas Scott was sitting in the hospital waiting room when he saw something out of the corner of his eye that he couldn't quite believe. "Haley?" he called out, questioningly.

She turned around and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face when she saw him. "Luke, what are you doing here?" she asked as she pulled him into her arms.

"I guess I could ask you the same question. I heard Dan was brought it, but I haven't been able to build up enough courage to go see him." He pulled back out of her arms so that he could look into her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I came home last night, I'm sorry I didn't call you. I was just trying to work everything out with Nathan and then all of this happened with Dan."

"It's okay, Hales, I'm just glad that you're home. It's been a rough couple of days."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters I finally confessed to Brooke how I really feel about her, but she still left. That was kind of a really big slap in the face, but I understand why she had to leave. Your husband isn't talking to me because I told him I would stop investigating Dan, but then he found out that I didn't stop and told me off. Lastly, I confronted Dan and it turns out he was really just testing me and I failed his test majorly. He's such a son of a bitch, but yet here I am, contemplating going in there and talking to him."

"Wait, why were you investigating Dan?"

"I thought he was stealing money from the company. And then I was trying to help Deb get away from him and I thought it was going to be her way out. Turns out he was really just testing my loyalty cause he's extremely twisted. I really screwed things up with Nate though, I don't know if he's ever going to talk to me again."

"Well, I think I'll be able to change his mind on that one because there is no way in hell I'm choosing sides between the two of you. I've never had to and I'm not going to start now, I love you both way too much. I'll talk to him. So Brooke, huh?"

"Yeah," Lucas said with a smile. "I really miss her, Hales, and it's only been a day. I wish she would have stayed here. I mean, come on, my girlfriend would have been living in my house without my mom there. How many guys have that opportunity?"

Haley laughed. "Where's your mom?"

"She went to Australia to go after Andy."

"Good for her, she deserves to be happy more than any of us."

"Well, what about you Hales, what made you come back?"

"Love. I wouldn't have been able to get through one more day without Nathan, it's as simple as that."

"How did he react when he saw you?"

"Anger at first, but after figuring a few things out he's starting to let me back in. It will take awhile for him to trust me again, but I'm willing to wait. I know he's well worth it. I'm never going to let something get between us again, I know now just how much our relationship means to me. He's too important."

"I'm really happy for you guys and I'm really happy that you're finally home."

"That makes two of us." a voice said from behind them.

Haley and Lucas turned around to see Nathan standing a few feet away. He came closer to them, standing next to Haley and placing his arm around her. "Listen, Luke, I'm really sorry about how I reacted before. I've always told you to do what you want when it comes to Dan and I went back on my word. I was just trying to watch out for my mom."

"No problem, Nate, I completely understand."

"So we can just forget about it? I'm all about the new beginnings and second chances today," Nathan said, glancing down at Haley and smiling.

"Yeah, that sounds good. So how's he doing?"

"He's burned pretty bad, but I guess he woke up a little bit ago. They still really aren't that sure what happened, I think a lot of it is going to depend on Dan's statement. Hopefully he remembers enough of what happened. Do you want to go in there?"

"I don't know if I will today, it kind of took a lot just to be able to make it this far. I think I got in and out of the car about five times before I finally starting driving here."

Nathan laughed. "Well, he'll still be here waiting tomorrow, he's not going anywhere. My mom really wants a cup of coffee though, so we should probably get back in there."

"Lucas, it was so good to see you and I can't wait to have dinner or something and catch up." Haley said, pulling her best friend into an embrace. "Maybe a cafeteria lunch tomorrow if you gather up enough courage to come back."

"Yeah, that sounds really good. I'll talk to you soon. Nathan, I'll see you later and I promise next time if you ask me to do something, I'll respect your wishes. It would have been smart of me to do."

"Lucas, whatever Dan did isn't worth investigating. We're all stronger than him and lately the only person he's been hurting is himself. The best thing I learned from growing up with him was how to ignore him. It took awhile to master, but I'm so glad that he doesn't hold an influence over me anymore."

"Thanks, Nate. Alright, I'll see you two soon." Lucas shook Nathan's hand before heading off towards the parking garage.

Nathan turned back to Haley and said, "Now, let's go get my mom some coffee and then visit for awhile so that we can get back to some us time."

Haley smiled and rested her head against his shoulder as they walked to the cafeteria. "I think I like the sound of that."

* * *

By the time they had left the hospital and eaten dinner, it was already nine o'clock when Haley and Nathan arrived back at the Scott house. Even though it was still early, they were both tired considering they had stayed up so late the night before. Haley didn't want to push anything so she went to the spare bedroom to change and decided to leave it up to Nathan whether or not they slept in the same bed again.

When she walked out of the bathroom she was surprised to see him just standing in the doorway. "What's going on?" she asked him.

He didn't say anything, and she didn't need him to, just held out his hand to her. She smiled as her stomach filled with butterflies and she stepped closer to him. As she stood across from him in the doorway his hands reached out to rest on her hips, slowly pulling her towards him. Biting her lip, she brought her hands up to the sides of his face, gently sweeping her thumbs over his cheeks. He pulled her even closer, slid his hands all the way around her back and grabbed one wrist so that she was completely resting against him. Haley put her arms all the way around his neck, gently leaning onto his shoulders.

Their lips were inches apart and to both of them it felt as if the whole world had stopped, just waiting for them to lean a little bit closer. Nathan closed the space between them, softly placing his lips upon hers. But it was Haley who took them to the next level. She had been waiting for this moment for months and it wasn't going to be wasted on a gentle kiss. Throwing her weight against the doorframe, she forced Nathan to rest his body completely against hers, and to deepen the kiss. He gently nibbled on her bottom lip and she giggled as he slipped one hand under the material of her shirt, meeting the skin on the small of her back. Just the one touch sent shocks of electricity throughout her body.

But no matter how much she wanted him to just pick her up and carry her to his bed, she knew that they needed to take things slow. They had to get back their relationship, the right way. As carefully as she could, she gently pushed him back. "Wow," was the only thought her mind could form.

"Yeah," he agreed with her.

She laughed because she hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Nathan, as much as I want to, I just don't think we should yet. We said we were going to take things slow."

"Yeah, I know, I just got a little carried away. I forgot how amazing it was to kiss you."

Haley smiled, trying her best not to blush. "Let's just try to get some sleep." She stepped out of the doorframe and this time she held out her hand to him.

Nathan gladly accepted it and followed her to his bedroom. All he could think was- Man, this is going to be one interesting week.

* * *

_Touch my skin,and tell me what you're thinking  
Take my hand and show me where we're going  
Lie down next to me, look into my eyes and tell me, oh tell me what you're seeing  
So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling  
what you feel now is what I feel for you  
Take my hand and if I'm lying to you  
I'll always be alone  
if I'm lying to you  
See my eyes, they carry your reflection  
Watch my lips and hear the words I'm telling you  
Give your trust to me and look into my heart and show me, show me what you're doing  
So sit on top of the world and tell me how you're feeling  
what you feel now is what I feel for you_

_Take my hand and if I'm lying to you  
I'll always be alone  
if I'm lying to you  
Take your time, if I'm lying to you  
I know you'll find that you believe me  
you believe me_

_Feel the sun on your face and tell me what you're thinking  
Catch the snow on your tongue and show me how it tastes  
Take my hand and if I'm lying to you  
I'll always be alone  
if I'm lying to you  
Take your time, if I'm lying to you  
I know you'll find that you believe me  
you believe me_

_"Take My Hand" by Dido_

* * *

I just wanted to say thanks for all the positive feedback! Thanks HalleyScott for saying my characterization was good- that was the best comment yet! Haha, I really try to stay in character- I think this part was a little bit of a stretch for Deb but I've always wanted to see her supportive of Nathan and Haley's relationship. And fanfics are our way of writing what we wish would happen! Thanks again to everyone!

Kylie


	4. The Nearness of You

**Chapter Four- The Nearness of You**

Haley woke up the next morning, disappointed to find that she was the only person in the bed. It didn't take her long to smell the reason why she had woken up: bacon and coffee. She smiled as she climbed out of bed, Nathan was cooking breakfast. She threw on her white silk robe and started to head downstairs, but paused as something caught her eye. She walked over to Nathan's desk where the object was resting and she couldn't help but smile as she read the words "Sometimes they come back" on the bottom of the drawing. The picture was of two hands with wedding rings on, joined together, and she clearly recognized it as one of Peyton's drawings. As she picked it up to get a closer look, she became choked up when she saw what had been lying underneath it. The Cracker Jack box bracelet, the one she had regretfully left behind. A single tear fell down her cheek as she picked the bracelet up and placed it back on her wrist, where it belonged. Wiping the tear from her cheek, she took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. It had suddenly hit her that one choice in her life had almost cost her everything she truly loved. Never again would she make such a stupid, impulsive decision. She was married and she had to think of Nathan too, not just herself- or she would lose him all over again.

There was a bounce in her step as she headed downstairs. She was looking forward to seeing Nathan this morning after their kiss last night; it had stayed in her mind and replayed in her dreams. She paused before she entered the kitchen, just watched him from behind as he cooked away at the stove. As quietly as she could, she walked up behind him and put her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Good morning, Mr. Scott."

Nathan turned his head slightly so that he could kiss her on the cheek. "Good morning to you too, Mrs. Scott. Sorry to not be there this morning, but I was starving and I figured you would be too."

"Yes, I am, and this smells absolutely wonderful." She kissed his neck before moving so that she could lean against the counter next to him. "Any news on your dad?"

"Yeah, we're probably going to have to head over there as soon as we get ready."

"No problem, is he doing better?"

"Well, he's awake and in a lot of pain, but my mom said he was talking this morning."

"What did he say?"

"Well he told the cops that it wasn't suicide, but that he didn't want them investigating anymore. He told them to call off questioning and to leave the case alone."

Haley was confused. "Why would he do that?"

"I have no clue. Obviously he knows who did it, but I would think that if he knew who it was then he would want them brought to justice. But it's Dan, so who really knows what's going through his head."

"Yeah, good point."

"Maybe his life flashed before his eyes like they say, and he saw all of the horrible things he did to people throughout his life. That probably would have made it easy to understand why someone would want to kill him. I mean I wouldn't have done it alone, but I'm not saying that I wouldn't have been first in line if someone threw together a kill Dan Scott party. I wouldn't have thought twice about joining."

"Yeah, you and probably the rest of this town."

"That's exactly what I'm saying; there are so many people who could have done it. And I'm sure that there are more in other towns- he's lived his life pissing other people off to get what he wants. Dan Scott is the only person that Dan Scott cares about. I promised myself a long time ago that I would never grow up to be like him."

"And you've done such a good job at doing that, you're nothing like him."

"No, I'm more like him than I'd like to admit. I mean look at the way I acted when you left: I got drunk most of the time and just moped around feeling sorry for myself. I shouldn't have been so selfish; I should have let you follow your dream without having to feel guilt and not have felt so threatened."

"Nathan, that doesn't make you the same as Dan. That makes you the exact opposite. If you were like Dan you would have done something to keep me here- not let me find out the hard way that this was where I belonged all along. Don't compare yourself to him, you'll never even touch how horrible he is."

Nathan took a step to the side so that he was standing in front of her and placed his hands on the counter on each side of her. "That means a lot to hear you say."

Haley brought her hands up to Nathan's cheeks and smiled. "I mean it and I'll tell you a million more times if that's what it takes."

As Haley had brought her hands up, her sleeves had fallen down and Nathan smiled at what he saw. "I see you found the bracelet."

"Yeah, I thought it should be returned to its rightful place."

Nathan leaned in so that his forehead was resting against Haley's. "I love you, Haley."

She couldn't help but smile and brush her lips against his gently. "I love you too, Nathan. Now finish making our breakfast, mister, cause I'm starving!" She laughed and playfully smacked his butt as he returned to his cooking duties.

"You better watch yourself," he said, returning her playful banter, "because payback's a bitch."

"You promise?" she asked with a coy smile before making herself useful and setting plates and silverware on the island. "So, it's going to be kind of weird to see Dan today, don't you think? I'm not going to know what to say."

"Well, you're going to have to make sure I keep my temper down. All I really want to do is yell at him for bringing annulment papers to you and forging my signature. But I know it's not the time for it, and it would really upset my mom."

"What do you think she's going to do? Do you think she'll stay with him?"

"I don't know, Hales. I hope that she's learned her lesson and sees that he'll always be the same person. But she's come back to him in the past and I don't know if she'll be strong enough to stay away from him. I mean look at how she is right now- she hasn't left the hospital since he was brought in. She's barely left his room. I just hope she's not feeling guilty because she was planning on leaving him before the fire."

"Well, I'm sure she's does, but hopefully it's just for the time being. But you never know, there's a part of her that loves him and always will."

"Yeah, those first loves- you never seem to be able to get rid of them."

"Hey!" Haley laughed, but turned serious as a sense of sadness suddenly overcame her.

Nathan could tell that something was wrong. "Haley, what is it?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but as she did the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the house. "I'll go get it," she quickly answered.

She had no clue who it could be, but assumed it would be Lucas since he was the only one who knew she was in town and that her and Nathan were staying with Deb. So she was surprised when she opened the door and Peyton was standing on the front porch. "Peyton!" she exclaimed, pulling her friend into her arms.

She had missed Peyton so much in New York because she was really her only female friend. They had always talked about their love lives and their problems with each other, so it was so good to see her face after so long. But as Haley pulled back and looked closer she realized that it was about the least happy face she had ever seen. "Peyton, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Haley, I'm so glad that you're back. I've really needed someone to talk to. I went to see Lucas this morning and he told me that you had come home- I came straight here!"

"Well, why don't you come in and tell me what's going on. Nathan's actually making some breakfast, so why don't you join us? Or do you want to talk in private?"

"I don't want to interrupt anything, it's really just nice to see you and know that you're home. I'll let you and Nathan eat, just call me as soon as you get a chance." She turned to leave, but Haley grabbed her arm.

"Peyton Sawyer, don't be silly, come inside right now. I've missed you and I really want to help, no offense but you look like crap. So as long as you don't care that Nathan hears your story too, come to the kitchen and eat breakfast with us!"

Peyton could see that Haley wasn't taking no for an answer so she followed her into the kitchen. She really didn't care if Nathan was there because she knew he would hear the story eventually and they had also started getting closer lately. They had been able to bond over the fact that they had both loved and lost. Even though from the sight of things Nathan was back to being in love- he and Haley looked very comfortable cooking breakfast in their pajamas. It was as if everything with them was back to normal. But she was happy for them; well she at least wanted to be. There were too many problems in her life to feel any kind of happiness.

Nathan turned around as they walked into the kitchen and Peyton was met with a smile. Yeah, they had definitely made up. "Hey, Peyton, are you going to have breakfast with us?"

"Yeah, if it's okay with you."

"Of course, I'll just make more. Take a seat at the island."

Peyton laughed to herself as she took a seat. A year ago the sight of Nathan in just his boxers would have turned her on, but now it was as if he was her long lost brother. What a difference a year could make.

Haley took a seat across from her. "So, what is going on? Is it Jake?"

"Well, he's half of the problem. I guess I'll start with that."

"Was he finally released?" Nathan asked as he started scrambling eggs.

"Yeah, but something happened before he was released. Nicci found Jenny and came back just to show Jake that she has her. Then she just took off with Jenny, and Jake couldn't do anything about it. So he came to me and said that he had to go find her, alone. He left and he's not coming back until he finds her. How am I supposed to wait- it could be months or years before he comes back. I don't even know if he'll ever come back."

"Peyton, you have to think positively. He loves you, he'll come back. He'd want you to at least see that he found Jenny and that she was okay. He knows how much you love her." Haley wanted Peyton to look on the brightside. If Nathan could forgive her and they could work everything out, then there was hope for everyone.

Nathan brought the plates to the island and took a seat next to Haley. "Haley's right, Peyt. You just have to believe that he'll come home, no matter how hard it seems right now. Sometimes they come back, right?" He looked to Haley and smiled as she leaned towards him to steal a kiss. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned back to Peyton. "The glass is always half full, Peyton."

"Haley, it is unbelievable what you do to this kid. You better stick around so he stays this way, it's much more appealing."

"Oh, don't worry, Peyton. He's not getting rid of me for a long time. So what else is up? You said Jake was only half of the problem."

"I met my mother last night."

"What?" Nathan asked. "That's not possible."

"Yeah, well apparently I've been living a nice gigantic lie my whole life. I called my dad yesterday and he confirmed everything this Elizabeth lady told me. She's my real mom."

"What did she tell you?" Haley asked, just as confused as Nathan was.

"Well, apparently my mom was a drug addict and only cleaned up while she was pregnant with me. She left my dad and me as soon as I was born, I wasn't even out of the hospital yet. My dad became really close with her sister and they eventually fell in love. They raised me and since they believed my real mom would never come back, my aunt raised me as her own daughter. I just can't believe that they would lie to me my whole life. I probably wouldn't have been mad if I had known from the beginning, but it really hurts finding out this way. And now this Elizabeth lady wants to be a part of my life, how screwed up is that?"

"Wow, Peyt, I don't even know what to say," Nathan finally spoke. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I mean, I guess she has the right to get to know me, but how do I let someone in that abandoned me? I can understand not being ready to raise a child at a young age, but she never even tried to be a part of my life. Suddenly she shows up and expects me to be okay with it. It's all just so much to think about, and with everything going on with Jake I'm already on overload. This summer is just starting out really bad. And I'm sorry to be such a downer. I'm really trying to be happy for you guys, I just wish Jake was here to help me through all this."

"Peyton, you don't have to apologize for anything. You have so much to think about and I'm so glad that you came to find me. I missed you so much in New York!"

"I missed you too, Haley, I'm glad I have someone here to talk to."

"Hey!" Nathan butted in.

"Nathan, you're not the same. There are some things you just can't understand, and some things that I really just don't want to talk to you about." Peyton walked over to the sink and placed her empty plate in. "Okay, kids, I think I'm going to get going. It was really nice talking to both of you, and Haley I'm glad you're going to be here this summer. Nathan, you suck and at the same time I'm jealous you get to leave Tree Hill for three months."

Nathan looked over at Haley and then back at Peyton. "Yeah, I'm suddenly not as excited about leaving as I was before." He reached over and placed his hand on Haley's knee. "But, I still have a few more days before I leave and I plan on making up for lost time."

"Okay, well I'm going to go and let you start doing that, because I really don't want to be here to witness it."

Haley laughed and stood up so that she could give Peyton a hug. "Peyton, call me whenever you need something or just want to talk. Just listen to your heart. If there's one thing I've learned it's that no matter how hard you try to ignore it- your heart's always telling you the right thing to do. Just don't make my mistake and ignore it for too long, it almost cost me everything."

Peyton nodded her head. "Thanks, Haley. And Nathan, if I don't see you before you leave, have fun at High Flyers and try not to work too hard. See you in three months."

"Wow, Peyton, it really feels like you're going to miss me. I can just feel the love."

Peyton laughed and gave him a hug. "Okay, guys, see you later."

Nathan waited for Peyton to leave the kitchen and then pulled Haley next to him. "I love you, you know that?"

"Yes I do, but I'll never get tired of hearing it."

"I love you…"

* * *

The rest of the week seemed to go by so fast, even though Nathan did his best to slow it down. Everyday they went to see Dan, who was still refusing to press charges on his attacker. Or even admit to who it was. Haley and Nathan had spent every minute of everyday together, but even though she slept in his bed every night they still hadn't made love. Neither of them minded, because they were more focused on rebuilding their relationship and just being together was more than enough. 

It all changed the night before Nathan was leaving for High Flyers. Nathan was packing his suitcase and Haley was regretfully helping him, trying her best not to break down in front of him. He knew that she was having trouble being supportive of him leaving, just as much trouble as he was having accepting the fact that he was leaving. But he felt it was something he had to do. Haley had left to follow her dream and to see if it was what she wanted, and now he understood that he had to do the same.

He placed the last pair of basketball shorts in his bag and zipped it closed, placing it next to the door. Sitting down on the bed next to Haley, he took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. "Are you taking me to the airport tomorrow?" he asked.

"Nope, I'm calling you a cab."

"Are you serious?"

"No!" she laughed. "I'm walking you all the way to the gate, I don't care what they say."

"Good, that's what I like to hear."

A comfortable silence fell over them and Haley placed her head on Nathan's shoulder, willing herself not to cry. She now understood how Nathan must have felt when she left, and she had been able to prepare herself for the past week. She lifted her head up and took his face in her hands, softly placing her lips upon his.

Nathan deepened the kiss, gently pulling her closer by placing his hand on the back of her head. It was also him who pulled her back with him so that they were lying on the bed. His hands fell to her sides, finding the soft skin of her stomach and connecting. His heart melted as she laughed softly and helped him to take off her shirt. He gently rolled on top of her so that they could remove his shirt. As soon as it was shed, he leaned down so that he could kiss her bellybutton and she giggled as he trailed kisses along her ticklish stomach. She wasn't going to let him stay in control the whole time so she rolled towards him, straddling his lap and placing kisses on his neck. Sitting up to remove her bra, she paused as her eyes connected with the scar on his stomach- the scar that she knew was from his accident.

"Nathan…" she whispered as her fingers softly traced the outline.

"Its okay, Hales, it doesn't hurt."

"I know, it's just…"

"Hales," he whispered, bringing his hands up to her cheeks, "don't think about that now. It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is this right here," he said, taking her hand in his to place it over his heart and placing his other hand over hers.

Haley smiled and placed her hands on Nathan's shoulders, pulling him up to her so that their lips could meet. It was easy for her to get lost in the feeling and forget any unhappiness she had just felt. There was nothing else in her life that could compare to the feeling of being in Nathan's arms. No one else could make her feel so loved and protected.

_It's not the pale moon that excites me  
That thrills and delights me, oh no  
It's just the nearness of you_

Nathan could feel her heart beating against his chest and it was enough to make him cry. He had dreamt of this moment every night for the past few months. Nothing felt more right than having her in his arms and being overcome with passion. The only way he was going to make it through the next three months was by remembering this moment vividly and knowing that it would be waiting for him when he returned.

_It isn't your sweet conversation  
That brings this sensation, oh no  
It's just the nearness of you  
_  
Finally all their clothes had been shed and they were finally one, completely unaware of anything else but each other. They held onto each other tightly, not wanting to let go. Not wanting to let the moment end, but even as it did they held onto the warmth that spread through their bodies.

_When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me  
All my wildest dreams come true_

The rest of the night was spent making love and sleeping, making up for lost time just as Nathan had planned. They didn't let go of each other; each quietly dreading the next morning when they would have to say goodbye. Finally at four in the morning, just a few hours before the alarm was set to wake them up, they fell into a deep sleep. Haley's head rested tenderly on Nathan's chest, his arm protectively draped around her back and holding her against him.

_I need no soft lights to enchant me  
If you'll only grant me the right  
To hold you ever so tight  
And to feel in the night the nearness of you_

Their breathing became synchronized and they each let their dreams replay the pleasure filled moments they had just experienced.

* * *

So, as you've just read, I'm slowly bringing together all of the characters and finishing their stories from the season finale- I do have a plan in my head (us writers always have plans! And it's a damn good plan if I do say so myself!) and all of the main characters will be brought together soon. I'm also a Brucas and Jeyton supporter- so that will probably be how it all plays out! 

Also, if you've noticed, I love bringing back the items that truly define Nathan and Haley's relationship. I mean the bracelet needs to make a comeback! Haha...

The song in this fic was "The Nearness of You" by Norah Jones

Kylie


	5. Til Kingdom Comes

**Chapter Five- Til Kingdom Comes**

The next morning Nathan woke up before the alarm went off and as he lay in bed watching Haley sleep, he was reminded of the morning after they got married. She slept peacefully beside him, wrapped up in the sheets with a smile resting playfully on her lips. Hours earlier he had decided that there couldn't have been a better way to spend his last night in Tree Hill. Specific moments stood out in his mind and he knew it was those that would stay imprinted there for the next three months. Like when he had rediscovered her tattoo and then proceeded to fill the small of her back with butterfly kisses. He had forgotten until last night how just the sight of the tattoo was enough to turn him on. It still amazed him how she had it done before she even knew whether or not he loved her, how she had that much faith.

The alarm clock cut through his thoughts and he did his best to turn it off quickly, scolding himself for not turning it off earlier like he had planned. He had wanted Haley to be able to sleep as long as possible, but that was no longer an option considering her eyes were already starting to open.

"Hey," Nathan whispered as he leaned forward to kiss her neck. Then he whispered in her ear, "Last night was amazing."

Haley laughed and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "It was, wasn't it?"

"I just want to stay in bed all day."

"Well as good as that sounds, you do have a plane to catch today. I think a shower sounds pretty good right about now." Haley reached next to the bed to find her robe, but before she climbed out Nathan pulled her back in.

"Hey, Hales, the other day before Peyton came you were going to say something to me. I didn't want to say anything when she was here, and then we just kind of got caught up in the past few days, but what were you going to say?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes, it does, to me."

"Nathan, I really don't want to talk about it."

"Haley, come on, it seemed important to you so it's important to me."

"I don't want you to leave," she suddenly blurted out.

"What?"

"Exactly, I didn't want to say anything because I knew how selfish it was. I want you to go to High Flyers because I know that you need to, but I wish that you could just stay here and we could continue to be like this. Three months without you after finally being back together is just going to be really hard. But I know that you have to go and you better know that I'll be waiting here when you get back."

"I do know that, and three months isn't that long. It'll go by quickly, you'll see," he said, reinforcing himself just as much as her.

Haley slowly rolled out of bed, turning around just before she reached the bathroom door. "So, are you going to take this shower with me, or what?"

Nathan shot out of the bed, charging at Haley and lifting her up to carry her into the bathroom. She laughed and pretended to struggle, but really she was completely contempt with being carried to the shower. They quickly shed what little clothes they were wearing and jumped into the warm shower.

"Can we drop my stuff off at Lucas' before we head to the airport?" Haley asked, placing a kiss on Nathan's neck. They had decided on Haley staying at Lucas' while Nathan was gone, considering Dan would be out of the hospital soon and Haley didn't really want to stay in the Scott house when that happened. Nathan didn't blame her and knew she would be happy staying with Lucas and catching up.

"Can we not talk about Lucas until after this shower?" Nathan asked back, pulling Haley into his arms.

Haley laughed and pushed Nathan under the shower head, doing her best to enjoy the last hour or so she had with him.

* * *

An hour and a half later they pulled up in front of Lucas' house, who was sitting on the porch waiting for them. After unloading the few bags that Haley had and putting them into the spare bedroom, Lucas started to say his goodbyes to Nathan.

"Good luck with camp, man," he said, grabbing his little brother's hand and pulling him into a big hug. "But don't let it get to your head, you're still going there with a weak ass jump shot, remember?"

Nathan laughed and pulled back. "Good luck staying here. Dan's getting out of the hospital soon so you're going to need it."

"Yeah, well if I do what my guts telling me to, I'll be staying away from Dan for awhile. I'd like to think that I learned my lesson last time."

"Easier said than done, I know that. Listen, take care of this one for me, will you?" he asked, pulling Haley to his side and kissing her on the forehead.

Lucas smiled. "You know I will. Do you want me to drive you guys to the airport so that you don't have to worry about parking the car? I'll just drive around for awhile and give you two some time to say goodbye."

Haley looked at Nathan and nodded. "That sounds really good, actually. And then I can have some moral support for the drive home."

"Alright, well let's get going so that you don't miss your plane." Lucas said, walking out to the car.

"Yeah, cause that would be horrible." Haley said sarcastically.

The drive to the airport was mostly spent in silence. Lucas concentrated on driving while Nathan and Haley sat in the back seat, his arm around her shoulders and her head resting on his. She gently traced patterns on the fabric of his jeans, searching for anything to keep her mind off the fact that he would soon be gone. It wasn't working though and feelings of loneliness were already starting to come to the surface.

Before she knew it, Lucas had pulled in front of Nathan's terminal and stopped the car. After helping Nathan get his luggage out, he gave him one last hug before getting into the car. Haley took Nathan's hand in hers and followed him into the airport, gently resting her head against his shoulder as he picked up his ticket and checked his luggage. They walked slowly to the security gate, knowing that they would have to say their goodbyes when they got there.

"So, I'm going to call you every night once you figure out your practice schedule." Haley stated as they came to a stop a few feet before the security checkpoint. "And if you have a big game at the end of camp, I'm definitely dragging Lucas down with me to watch it."

"Hopefully you'll be able to come visit before then."

"Well, I wouldn't want to disrupt you in the middle of camp. You'll probably be really busy."

"Hales, it wouldn't be a disruption. I'm going to be going crazy there without you, I barely made it though last time and now here we are separating again."

"Nathan, I'm so sorry…"

"Hales," he cut her off, lifting her chin so he forced her to look into his eyes. "We're past that, I don't want to hear you apologizing anymore. What's done is done. Now, we just have to get past these next three months and then we can get back to normal. Deal?"

"Deal."

"I should probably get going or I'm never going to be able to get on that plane. I'm not good at goodbyes, as you know."

Haley nodded and stood up on her tiptoes so that he could gather her in his arms. She placed her lips on his, kissing him softly at first and then deepening the kiss. He pulled her closer to him, lifting her feet a few inches off of the ground. She laughed, and kissed his cheek and then his neck, resting her head on his shoulder and nuzzling into his neck.

"I love you, Mrs. Scott."

"I love you, too, Mr. Scott." She pulled back and kissed him one last time as he placed her feet back on the ground. "Now, you better get going before I drag you back to the car. Oh wait, I almost forgot that I got you something." She reached into her purse and pulled out a small object. Taking Nathan's hand, she placed an almost identical Cracker Jack bracelet to hers on his wrist. The only difference was that it was half blue instead of half pink. "Don't say I never gave you anything." She laughed, forcing her best smile for him.

Nathan pulled her into his arms again. "Oh, Hales, you've given me more than you'll ever know." He kissed her lips softly before pulling back and taking a few steps away. "I really have to go or I'm probably going to lose it. I'll call you tonight when I land or when I get settled."

"Okay. I'll be right downstairs in the baggage claim when you come back. I'll wait for you, Nathan."

He nodded. "I know you will, Hales. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too." She said as she watched him walk away, pausing only right before he went through security to turn around and wave. She forced another smile and waved back, willing herself to be strong until he was out of her sight. Surprisingly she stayed put together as she walked to find Lucas outside. He held her hand on the drive home and didn't fight her when she said she wanted to be alone and went straight to the bedroom.

It was then that she gave into her emotions, falling to floor as her body was overtaken in heart wrenching sobs. At first she did her best to stay quiet as to not worry Lucas, but after awhile it all became too much.

Lucas could hear Haley crying and at first he did his best to give her space, but after about twenty minutes it was too much to take. "Hales," he knocked gently on the door. "Can I come in?" When she didn't say anything, he slowly opened the door and his heart broke when he saw her. She was on the floor, curled up in a ball and the foot of the bed. He sat down on the floor next to her, gently pulling her head into his lap and rubbing her back. "Hales, it'll be okay, he'll be back in no time."

"No, Lucas, it's not that." She tried to say through her tears.

"Than what is it?"

She sat up and did her best to wipe away some of her tears. "I finally know how he felt, or at least a little bit of how he felt, and it's horrible. I feel so guilty and I wish there was some way that I could make it up to him!"

"Haley, you already have, you came back to him. That's all he ever wanted."

"I know, it's just I don't feel like that's enough. I want to do something to show him how much I love him, how dedicated I am to spending the rest of my life with him."

"There's nothing you can do now that he's gone, Haley, except wait for him to come back. Three months will go by fast, and we can help keep each other company. I'm waiting for the summer to be over and for Brooke to come back, just like you're waiting for Nathan. We're both just stuck here waiting."

"It sucks." Haley stated the obvious.

"Yeah, it does suck doesn't it? But look, I spent all last week crying over Brooke and it really did nothing for my complexion, so I say you come to the kitchen and we cook a big dinner. I'm sure Peyton would love to join us and it would be nice for all of us to hang out."

Haley laughed and nodded her head. "That sounds good, just give me a few minutes to freshen up and then I'll start helping you."

Lucas smiled and kissed her forehead as he stood up. "I'll go call Peyton," he said as he left the room.

Haley walked over to one of her suitcases and opened it, trying to find her makeup case. Instead she found something that was just what she needed. Nathan had packed his sweatshirt in her bag with a little note attached that said, "Smile." She pulled the sweatshirt out of the bag and put it on, holding it tightly to her chest.

Not wanting to disappoint Nathan, she did just as she was instructed to and smiled. She couldn't wait for his phone call tonight so that she could tell him just how much she loved him…

* * *

Steal my heart and hold my tongue.  
I feel my time, my time has come.  
Let me in, unlock the door.  
**I've never felt this way before.  
**  
The wheels just keep on turning,  
The drummer begins to drum,  
**I don't know which way I'm going,  
I don't know which way I've come.**

**Hold my hand inside your hands,  
I need someone who understands.  
I need someone, someone who hears,  
For you, I've waited all these years.**

**For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come.**  
Until my day, my day is done.  
And say you'll come, and set me free,  
**Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.**

In your tears and in your blood,  
In your fire and in your flood,  
**I hear you laugh, I heard you sing,  
"I wouldn't change a single thing."**

The wheels just keep on turning,  
The drummers begin to drum,  
**I don't know which way I'm going,  
I don't know what I've become.**

For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come,  
Until my days, my days are done.  
Say you'll come and set me free,  
**Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.  
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.  
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.**

"Til Kingdom Come" by Coldplay

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed- sorry it was a little shorter than normal, but I really wanted to post this part. I give all the credit to Britney123 who sent me some feedback tonight and it got me in the posting mood! haha- I also wanted to get started on writing the next part! Also- I wanted to say thank you to everyone for feedback. I forgot to write a little message to Jsparrowzmate13- that was by far THE best feedback I have ever received in all the years I've been writing fan fics. I hope I keep up the good work for you and you keep reading- I don't like to disappoint! Thanks again everyone!

Kylie


	6. In Love With You

**Chapter 6- In Love With You**

It had been two weeks since Nathan left and Haley was a complete wreck. She had been physically sick for the past week and it took way too much energy every day just to get out of bed. Even though the days were bad, the nights were the worst. All she did was long for Nathan's arms to be around her, holding her closely to him. The only thing that made it easier was the fact that they talked to each other on the phone every night before they went to bed. It was no where near the same, but it was enough to get her through the day.

As Haley was lying in bed, impatiently awaiting sleep, a thought came to her. Pretty much the greatest idea that she ever had. She quickly sat up in bed and looked over at the clock. It was 2:30 in the morning. Pausing slightly, worried about waking Lucas up, she shot out of bed anyway and ran to his room. She didn't bother to knock on his door, just walked right in and jumped on his bed.

"Haley, what's wrong?" he asked, as he forced himself awake.

"I want to get married again."

"Hales: first of all I really only like you as a friend, and second of all I think that would make Nathan really mad."

"No!" she laughed, and slapped his arm. "I want to get married again- to Nathan! I was just lying in bed thinking about how we never really got to share our marriage with all of you. It was just me and Nathan and my parents. I think it would be fun if we could take a little trip, go pick up Brooke, and go to Florida to surprise Nathan."

"Now you're talking…" Lucas smiled.

"Yeah, I knew the promise of picking up Brooke on the way would definitely make you say yes. I mean, Nathan would love it and then maybe we could even figure out a way for me to live in Florida too for the summer. And maybe if you go make the big gesture to Brooke, she'll want to come back for the summer. And as for Peyton, I don't think really any of us can help her with her problems, but maybe she'll get a little happier when I ask her to be my maid of honor. But we might need to really convince her that it's a good idea to go."

"Wow, Hales, you've really been thinking about this."

"Actually, no, I haven't. It just came to me and I thought- hey, that's a wonderful idea! So, what do you say?"

"I say, let's book three tickets to California! Peyton won't be able to say no when we tell her we're going to see Brooke and that we've already bought her a ticket."

"Okay, let's go!" Haley said, jumping to her feet.

"Uh, how about in the morning, Haley? I'm really tired."

"Lucas Eugene Scott, get out of bed right this instant! Don't you want to go see Brooke? I'm dying here without Nathan, and you should be the same way! Besides, you can get cheaper flights at this time of day!"

"What? Haley, you're lying."

"No, I saw it on the View the other day. So come on, let's go book a flight!"

"Yeah, because the View is a really reliable source of info," Lucas said as he was dragged to his computer.

Not much later they had booked three nonstop tickets to California for the next evening, at only a moderate price if you asked Lucas. "Hales, can I go to bed now?"

"Lucas, how can you think about going to bed right now! There's so much to do. I'm just too excited to even think about sleeping. I think I'll go start packing, and then I'm going to need to find somewhere to have the wedding and someone to do the service." She stood up and continued talking to herself as she left his room. "And then I need to find some flowers, a caterer, and figure out who to invite. There's way too much to do!"

Lucas threw himself back down on his bed and brought his hand up to his forehead. "Oh no, what did I get myself into?"

* * *

Nathan woke up bright and early, ready for his daily run. He looked to the picture of him and Haley on the nightstand next to his bed and softly whispered, "Only two months, one week, and six days left to go Hales." 

"You know you are pretty pathetic, man."

Nathan looked up to see his roommate, JR, walking out of the bathroom. "Why?"

"Every morning I hear you say hello to that gorgeous wife of yours and I honestly think you're crazy. I mean I can't even think about seriously dating someone, and here you are married in high school."

"It's different when you meet the right person, JR. When I met Haley I was a completely different person, a party animal to be completely honest. But she really changed me and made me see the good in life. It's a completely different lifestyle, but I wouldn't change it for a thing."

"I think that has to be the cheesiest thing I've ever heard."

Nathan threw his pillow at JR and laughed. "I wish you could meet her, maybe then you would understand it. Anyway, are we running this morning?"

"Yes, don't worry, we are running and you can work off your pent up sexual tension. We have to run, otherwise I'm afraid you'll jump me while I'm sleeping."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's the other way around." Nathan took out his cell phone as they walked downstairs and dialed Haley's number. When she didn't pick up, he left a short message on her voice mail. "Hey Hales, just calling to say good morning. You're probably still sleeping, you lazy bum, but I'm jealous and wish I could be there lying next to you. I love you and I'll call you later tonight after practice. Say hi to Lucas for me."

"So, is Lucas the child you had while still in high school who made you that crappy bracelet you wear all the time?" JR asked.

"Okay, first of all this bracelet was given to me by my wife and second of all Lucas is actually my older brother. Haley's staying with him at home until I get back and we find somewhere to live."

"Well then I'm guessing you guys aren't exactly rolling in the dough if you have to buy each other presents that look like that."

"Hey! This bracelet has a story behind it, Haley has one exactly like it except its pink."

"How cute, it's like the boy and girl versions! So, you aren't worried that your wife is all alone back home with your brother? I mean, two brothers was kind of the plot of a porno I was watching the other night."

"JR, you are so gross. You remind me a lot of my friend Tim, just a lot smarter. And no, I'm not worried. They're best friends and she actually knew him before she knew me. I kind of only started hanging out with her in order to piss him off and then I fell for her."

"Well this sounds like a story I'd like to hear. "

* * *

"Haley, come on, we have to go kidnap Peyton or we're going to miss our flight!" Lucas screamed upstairs. 

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Haley screamed back, walking down the stairs with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. "There's something I have to do first. Do you think you could go to Peyton's without me and I'll meet you guys there in a little while?"

"We only have one hour to convince Peyton to go, won't you be cutting it a little close?"

"No, I'll only be about a half an hour, probably less. I promise you that it will all be okay and that we won't miss our plane to California." Lucas had been completely calm last night, but as soon as he woke up this morning and realized he would be seeing Brooke- he went crazy. He had been running all around the house and hadn't sat still the whole day. Haley understood exactly how he felt, she just dealt with the restlessness in a different way. Yet again, she had been sick to her stomach for most of the day. She almost wished that she was running around like a maniac.

"Haley James Scott, if you are late you will probably give me a heart attack."

"Lucas, I know where the airport is and what time our flight leaves. I have my ticket and if I take longer than I think I will, I will meet you two at the airport. Just drag Peyton there if you have to and don't give in if she says no."

"Hales…"

"Luke, it will all be okay." She placed her hands on his shoulders and shook him gently. "You will be seeing Brooke tonight, just try to picture that moment."

Lucas smiled and relaxed momentarily, but not even two seconds later he straightened up and looked Haley in the eye. "If you are not at the airport, we are leaving without you. You got me really excited about seeing Brooke and this is my chance to make things right with her."

"Lucas, I won't screw this up for you. Trust me, I need to make that plane just as much as you do."

* * *

Haley paused outside of the door, suddenly unsure of her decision to come here. She took a deep breather and walked into the room anyway, knowing it was something she had to do for Nathan. Mr. Scott was sitting up in his bed, his burns looking so much better than the first time she had seen him. Mrs. Scott was sitting in the chair next to his bed, which was where she had been sitting every time Haley came to visit. 

She looked up as Haley walked into the room and a smile formed on her face. "Haley, I was wondering if you were going to come visit. Have you talked to Nathan today?"

"Well, he called this morning and left a message on my phone. He said he was going to call back later tonight after practice. He sounds like he's doing okay, I know that he's made a few friends. The training sounds really strenuous though."

"I'm sure he misses you. Before you know it, he'll be back home and you guys will have picked up right where you left off."

"Well, that's the thing. I came here today because I wanted to ask you something, both of you something," she said, looking at Dan. "I'm flying down to Florida to surprise Nathan, and I have this whole plan for us to get married again on the beach. He doesn't know about it and I just think it would be perfect for us, kind of a fresh start. The thing is, I know you two weren't there for the first ceremony and it would really mean a lot to me, and I'm sure Nathan, if you could come to this one. I know it's a lot to ask considering it's in Florida, but I just thought that maybe you would want to be there to share it with us."

"Haley, that's really sweet of you and I'm sure Nate will really enjoy it, but I don't know if we'll be able to make it out there. With Dan's condition right now…"

"We'll do our best to be there." Dan interrupted her, causing both Deb and Haley to give him looks of confusion. "I know we haven't done our best to support your marriage, and if my doctor gives the okay, then we'll fly out there. Just tell us the date and time, and we'll do our best to get there."

"I don't know exactly…" Haley said slowly, her mind still working on the fact that Dan was being so accepting. "I have to try and find a priest when I get down there without Nathan finding out, and then I need to figure out where the ceremony will be. I can call you as soon as I know all of the details."

"That sounds good. Now you probably want to hurry up, I'm sure you have a few things to do before you leave. And I'm sure hanging out with an old man in a hospital isn't at the top of that list."

Haley forced a smile and looked to Deb. "I'll call you as soon as I plan everything out."

Deb nodded and stood so that she could pull Haley into a hug. "Say hello to Nathan for us and have a safe flight."

Deb watched as Haley walked slowly out of the room, clearly just as confused as she was at what they just witnessed. She sat down next to Dan and gave him a questioning look. "What was that all about?"

"Well the last time that we didn't support their marriage, it cost us our son. I figure the best thing to do is finally accept the fact that they are married and to support them. If we go to Florida, it will show Nathan that we do care and that we love him."

"Where is this coming from? You've barely said two words while you've been in the hospital, and now you're preaching about how we need to support our son. Where was this mana year ago?"

"Things just kind of fell into perspective the moment my wife and brother tried to kill me."

The look on Deb's face was enough to confirm what Dan had just said. "Come on, Deb, after all we've been through I knew you must have a pretty big reason to stay with me every second in the hospital. And then I figured it out: guilt. I also realized it after the doctor told me they found traces of painkillers in my blood, which I had also discovered on the wine bottle. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together on that one. And Keith probably should have done a little better job covering himself up as he started my office on fire. I guess he figured I wouldn't make it, but here I am with the answers right in front of my face."

Deb finally formed a thought in her head. "So, why didn't you tell the police?"

"Because while I was unconscious, I began thinking about the fact that I must have done some pretty horrible things in my life if the two people I should love the most were trying to kill me. And that hurt, it really hurt, but I was okay with that because I finally felt something. After all these years I understood what the other side felt like, what everyone felt when I hurt them."

"So, what do we do?"

"We pretend it never happened."

"Dan, we can't just do that."

"Yes, Deb, we can. Now, I'm going to try and get some sleep. Why don't you go get yourself some food, you've barely eaten while you've been here."

Deb nodded and stood up. She paused right before she left the room, turning around to say one last thing. "Keith pulled you out of the fire, I just thought you should know."

* * *

Lucas' leg wouldn't stop shaking so Haley placed a hand on his knee to calm him down. "Luke, there's only twenty minutes left of this flight, but if I have to put up with that shaking anymore- you're not going to make it to the landing." 

Lucas relaxed his knee as Haley removed her hand. "You know, Peyton's been in the bathroom for quite some time, do you think she's okay?"

"She's probably fine, I'm sure there was just a line or something. Or she just needs some alone time."

"In the bathroom? Whatever, I'm just glad that she came with. I didn't think she was going to say yes."

"Well, we really didn't leave her much choice. I think it will be good for her though."

"Hales, you think it will be good for her to see me hook up with Brooke and for you and Nathan to get remarried? Her boyfriend left town and she's not going to be seeing him for a long time."

"You have a point there… Who knows, maybe this kid that Nathan's been telling me about, his roommate JR, will be really cute and they'll connect."

"I think that's wishful thinking. This is the longest plane ride in the history of the world!"

Haley laughed. "Well, you at least get to see Brooke soon. I have to wait another two days before I can see Nathan."

"Yeah, but it'll be here before you know it. Two days will go fast."

"Luke, two weeks has been torture! All I have to say is that it has been a really good lesson to me, I'm never leaving again."

"Good, that's exactly what I like to hear. I think I would be just as lost as Nathan if you left again. We need you, Hales."

"And that is what I like to hear." She smiled and rested her head on Lucas' shoulder. "Thanks for doing this with me, Lucas. It really means a lot to me."

"I leave you guys alone for five minutes and look at you." Peyton said as she came back to her seat.

Haley lifted her head up so that she could talk to Peyton. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed some time alone, I'll be okay."

Haley opened her mouth to respond, but as she did the captain came over the intercom to tell the plane to prepare for landing. It took them about a half hour to get off their plane and get their luggage, but they quickly found a taxi and Peyton gave the driver Brooke's address.

The weather in Santa Monica was perfect and it didn't take them long to get from LAX to Brooke's new place. They pulled into the driveway of a house right on the beach, not too far from the pier. Peyton was the one to ring the doorbell, excited to see her best friend after two weeks being away from her. Lucas stood a few feet behind her and Haley, unsure as to how Brooke was going to react when she saw him.

Brooke answered the door with a forced smile that quickly changed into a genuine one. "Oh my god, hi!" She pulled Peyton and Haley into a hug, revealing Lucas behind them as she did. She pulled back slowly as Haley and Peyton moved to the side so that she could walk towards Lucas. Standing in front of him she smiled and said simply, "Hey."

Lucas laughed and pulled her into his arms. "Hey yourself."

"What are you guys doing here, what are _you_ doing here?"

Lucas pulled back and smiled. "Well, they came here because Haley has something to ask you. I came here because I wanted to say," he paused slightly so that he could look into her eyes, "that I love you. And I know that before you left you said you just wanted to be friends, but I hope that you don't mean that. Because I really want to be with you and I hope you want it to. I've spent these past few months fighting this, knowing that you were with Felix and that you probably hated me. But I can't fight it anymore, Brooke. I can't…"

He would have continued, but when Brooke placed her lips over his it became a little difficult to talk. "I want that too, trust me I've wanted it more than anything in my entire life. I love you, too."

Lucas laughed. "Well, good, because you're the first girl that I've really ever given a rat's ass about and I'm glad you feel the same way."

* * *

I cannot help it  
I couldn't stop it if I tried  
The same old heartbeat  
Fills the emptiness I have inside  
And with it you can't fight love so I won't complain  
So why would I stop the fire that keeps me going on 

Cause when there's you I feel whole  
And there's no better feeling in the world  
Without you I'm alone  
And I'd rather be in love..ohh

Turn out the lights now  
To see is to believe  
I just want you near me  
I just want you here with me  
And I'd give up everything only for you  
It's the least that I could do

And when there's you I feel whole  
And there's no better feeling in the world  
Without you I'm alone  
And I'd rather be in love..ohh  
I'd rather be in love with you

Feel you holding me  
Why are we afraid to be in love..to be loved  
I Can't explain it I know it's tough..to be loved  
And I feel you holding me

OH ohhh And when there's you I feel whole  
And there's no better feeling in the world  
Cause without you I'm alone  
And I'd rather be in love..ohh  
I'd rather be in love yes I'd rather be in love  
Ow I'd rather be in love with you

Feel you holding me

-"In Love With You" by Vanessa Carlton

* * *

OKay soI have to say first of all thanks to everyone who sent me feedback after part five! I live off of feedback. I'm not so sure about this part- I think my Dan storyline is what's bugging me a little. What do you guys think? Also- I picked Santa Monica to be Brooke's new home in California considering we don't know where she actually went. Or at least I was told we never found out. Okay well I will enjoy posting the next installment of this story more and hopefully you will enjoy reading it!

Kylie


	7. First Day of My Life

Hey Guys- sorry for the lack of updates- our DSL decided to stop working for five days! But it'sall okay now and I hope you enjoy Chapter Seven!

* * *

Chapter Seven- **First Day of My Life**

"Haley, this one is hideous," Brooke laughed, holding up a very ugly dress. "You have to try it on."

"Brooke, why would I want to try on an ugly dress? There's not even a point to that." Haley responded, trying to take the dress from Brooke's hands.

"Um, yes there is- so that we can laugh."

"And that's exactly why I'm trying on dresses today- just to make you laugh. Can you concentrate? We need wedding type dresses!"

"Come on, Hales, have a little fun."

"Brooke, I need to find a dress by tomorrow. Maybe if I find a few others to try on here, I'll humor you and try it on. Deal?"

"Deal, Tutor Girl."

"Hey, Hales, I think I found it," Peyton said as she walked over from the other side of the store. She was holding an ivory satin strapless dress with an ice pink sash that tied into a bow in the back. "It's on clearance for only $50.00 and I really think you need to try it on."

"Peyton, it's beautiful." She turned around to Brooke, "Now that is a nice dress."

"Of course, Peyton finds the perfect dress. You're still trying mine on, though." Brooke stated simply as she dragged Haley to the fitting rooms by her hand, Peyton following behind.

"So Brooke, what happened last night with Lucas?" Haley said through the dressing curtain as she changed into Peyton's pick.

"Well before you two start inventing sick scenarios in your minds- we just stayed up all night talking."

"So that's why you were so tired this morning," Peyton joked.

Brooke laughed and hit Peyton on the arm. "We had a lot to sort out, I mean a few weeks ago I thought that he was still in love with you," Brooke said, looking at Peyton. "We're just going to be taking it slow for a little bit."

"Okay, girls," Haley said, "give me your honest opinions." Haley stepped out of the fitting room and Peyton and Brooke had the same reaction: their jaws dropped.

"Oh, Hales, it's perfect," Brooke spoke first, bringing Haley in front of the three way mirror.

"It fits perfectly, it's like it was meant to be," Haley said, turning towards Peyton. "If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have found it. See, I knew there was a reason why we brought you."

"Gee, thanks. You know, Nathan's going to freak out when he sees you in this, he's not going to know what to do."

"Oh no, he's going to know exactly what to do- get her out of it!"

"Brooke!" Haley and Peyton exclaimed at the same time.

"What?" she asked. "It's the truth, at least someone's willing to say it. Speaking of the truth- get out of this dress and buy it so that Peyton and I can go shopping for our dresses!"

Haley laughed. "Does this mean I don't have to try on the nasty one you picked out?"

"Nope, I'm too excited to pick out my own dress now."

"Yeah, aren't you glad she's not selfish?" Peyton joked.

Haley quickly paid for the dress and the three of them started walking to the café where Lucas was waiting for them.

"So, Haley, how's your head doing? Is it prepared for this wedding?" Peyton asked as she linked arms with her.

"Well, my head's fine. It's my stomach that's not completely prepared for some reason. I feel like I've been a nervous wreck this past week."

"Why," Brooke cut in, "have you been sick?"

"Yeah, I've been throwing up basically everyday the past week. I think it's just because I miss Nathan so much."

Brooke shot a skeptical look at Peyton before continuing. "Haley, are you sure there isn't something you want to tell us?"

"Like what?" she asked, not knowing what Brooke was trying to get at.

Brooke stopped her in the middle of the sidewalk and turned around to face her. "Like maybe the fact that your preggers?"

"What! There's no way… Well, of course there's a way, but I can't be. I mean, we're so careful. I'm sure it's just my nerves, I'm just really excited about seeing Nathan. Besides, there's no way we're even remotely ready to have a baby. We're both still in high school! No, there's just no way." Haley concluded.

"You really seem to be convincing yourself just as much as us. You sure you don't want to pick up a pregnancy test just to be sure? I mean, it wouldn't hurt." Peyton asked her.

"No, I just want to go pick out your dresses and then I want to go to bed so that tomorrow I can see my husband. Okay? Please, let's just drop it."

"Okay," Brooke said as they started walking. "It would be really cute if we could find light pink dresses to match your sash!"

"Well, she changed subjects quickly," Peyton said to Haley, which caused the three of them to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Lucas asked as they neared the little corner café where he was sitting waiting for them.

"Oh nothing, Broody, just a little girl talk. Did you miss me?" Brooke asked as Lucas stood up and they began walking ahead of Peyton and Haley.

"You know it, Cheery. Did you have fun dress shopping?"

"Yes, but not as much fun as I could have had with you." Brooke responded suggestively.

"So much for taking it slow," Haley said to Peyton. The two girls laughed as they did their best to catch up to Brooke and Lucas.

* * *

The Davis house was quiet considering Brooke's parents were out of town, so the four of them had a nice dinner to themselves.

"So, girls, Lucas and I have been talking and I've decided to move back to Tree Hill- for good." Brooke said as they were all finishing up.

"Brooke, that's great. But what do your parents think?" Peyton asked.

"Well, it will be quite a shock when they get home and I'm not here. If they even notice, that is."

"Wait," Haley cut her off, "you're not even planning on telling them?"

"I've never asked their approval for anything else so there's no need to start now. I think it's Karen that we're worried about. She was okay with me living there before, but we weren't dating then."

"I'll just keep you locked in my room," Lucas told her, reaching for her hand.

"Now, that doesn't sound half bad," Brooke said, leaning towards him.

"Easy you two," Haley said as she stood up to take her plate to the sink. "Just remember that you currently have an audience. Brooke, do you think I could borrow your car to pick up some last minute things? I wouldn't be gone that long, maybe just a half hour."

"Sure, no problem, the keys are hanging right by the front door."

"Hey, Hales, do you think I could come with you?" Peyton asked- shooting her a 'don't leave me here alone with them!' look.

Haley hesitated, not exactly sure that she wanted anyone to come with on this last minute trip. But then again she felt bad leaving Peyton here with the lovebirds. "Sure, no problem."

"So, where are we going?" Peyton asked Haley as they got into Brooke's car.

"The drug store- I need to get a pregnancy test."

* * *

Haley stood on the beach, her toes playing in the sand, looking out at the crashing waves of the ocean. "This is it," she said to Lucas. "This is where the ceremony has to be." They had been in Florida for two hours, and as much as it killed Haley to be here and not see Nathan right away, there were important things she had to do first.

It was Friday and she had found a priest to do the ceremony at 2 pm on Sunday. It had taken some convincing considering he was reluctant to agree when they didn't have a place to perform the ceremony. But Haley convinced him it wouldn't take her long because the sooner she found the right place, the sooner she saw Nathan.

"Are you sure, Hales?"

"Yeah, everything here is perfect, Nathan will love it. Let me just make a few phone calls and then we can get going." First she called the priest and arranged to meet him here at 1:30 on Sunday. Next, she called her parents, hoping that they weren't far away and could drive down for the ceremony. They told her that they wouldn't miss it for the world and that they couldn't wait to see their daughter and son-in-law. Last, she called Deb's cell phone. Deb didn't pick up so Haley left a message saying that she really hoped they would come and then told her all of the specifics. Haley knew it would be hard for them, but she really wanted Nathan to have his parents there too.

Haley walked over to Lucas, who had been giving her some privacy, and nodded her head. "I'm all ready, everything should be set for Sunday." She put her arm through his as they started walking back to the car. "So, Brooke, huh?"

Lucas laughed. "I was wondering when you were going to start asking questions."

"Well, I had to get you alone first! So is everything okay now?" Haley had heard Brooke's side of everything, but it wasn't the same as hearing it straight from her best friend.

"Yeah, I think everything's really good right now. I think it will definitely take awhile to get back to where we used to be, but that's okay. We may never get back there, and that would be okay, too. We've both changed in the past year and I think it says a lot that we still want to be together and make it work."

"I know exactly what you mean, because I feel it with Nathan. It's not exactly what we had before, but so far it feels so much better. It feels like we have an even stronger connection, which I'm not giving up for anything in the world."

"Exactly, and I'm just so happy to be back with her. So what about you? I know you're excited to see Nathan, but you've seemed a little preoccupied the past 24 hours."

Haley smiled. Lucas didn't miss anything with her. But she wasn't going to admit to him what had been on her mind. "It's just all this planning. I just want to see Nathan and then actually have the wedding."

"Well, lucky for you because we're going to see him right now," Lucas said as he opened up the passenger side door of the rental car for her.

Haley couldn't help but feel butterflies on the drive over. She couldn't wait to see Nathan's reaction to seeing her. It was a little haunting because it reminded Haley of the fact that Nathan had come to see her and she had seemed so unsure of everything. If only he would of waited until after the show that night- so that she could have talked to him and told him to wait for her. The memory of that night had caused her to cry herself to sleep numerous times. She thought that she had cost herself everything, their whole marriage.

But she shouldn't think about that now, because everything was okay. Nathan knew that she loved him and that she wasn't leaving him again. Haley was so thankful that he had been willing to open up and let her in again. It had always made her feel special to know that he wasn't guarded around her.

Lucas pulled up in front of the High Flyers Arena and turned off the car. It was the middle of the day so they had figured that Nathan would still be at practice. "Do you want me to go in with you?"

"No, I can find him." Haley got out of the car and took a few deep breaths as she walked into the building. She could hear the sounds of drills being yelled out and shoes meeting with the wood of the basketball court, so she followed in that direction.

"Um, Haley?" she heard an unfamiliar voice say behind her.

She turned around to see a tall, attractive man filling up his water bottle. "Do I know you?" she asked.

"Wow, I can't believe this. Oh, sorry," he said, extending his hand to hers. "I'm Nathan's roommate, JR. You know he talked about you all the time, but somewhere in the back of our minds we all just kind of thought he was crazy."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. Listen, do you happen to know where he is? I'm kind of dying to see him."

"Oh yeah, no problem, I'll take you to him." He said as Haley followed him towards the middle of the arena. "We're actually in the middle of afternoon drills, which I'm sure he'll be happy to get out of. It's normally the worst part of the day and we'll do anything to get out of if."

"Like fill up your water bottle?" Haley joked.

JR laughed. "Yeah, well my other excuses were getting a little old. He's right this way. He's going to freak out when he sees you, he hasn't stopped talking about you since we got here."

Haley couldn't help but smile as they started descending the stairs to the basketball court. All the players were out running their drills and she spotted Nathan instantly, putting his all into running back and forth on the court.

She would remember the moment that he first saw her for the rest of their lives. It seemed as if time stopped for only the two of them as he paused in the middle of the court while the other players continued to run their drills around him. The smile that spread over his face was truly genuine and it took every ounce of control in her body not to run straight to him and throw herself into his arms.

Nathan ignored the coach behind him telling him to get back to running drills and started walking to where Haley was still coming down the stairs. As he passed through the other players, he picked up his pace a little and laughed as Haley did the same. They met at the bottom of the stairs and Nathan lifted her into his arms as she wrapped her legs around his waist. They both laughed as they brought their lips together and Haley placed her hands on the back of Nathan's head, bringing him as close to her as possible. She could feel his hand resting on the skin of her lower back and the gentle touch was enough to set her on fire.

Nathan softly pulled back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hales, what are you doing here?"

"I just couldn't take it anymore and had to see you. Lucas is here too, he came with me."

"Yeah, I really don't care about Lucas right now."

Haley laughed and looked past Nathan to the rest of the players, who had now stopped what they were doing to watch the two of them. "Nathan, everyone's looking at us!" she said quietly to him.

"I don't care, let them watch. How long are you here for?"

"As long as you want me to be."

"How does two and a half months sound?" he asked her as he carefully placed her back on the floor, still keeping his arms around her waist to keep her close.

Haley laughed, "Sounds good to me. Listen, can you get out of practice right now?"

"Well, if I can't then I'm just leaving all together because there's no way I'm going to stay here now. There's no way I'll be able to concentrate on anything! Just give me a minute to talk to the coaches." He kissed her forehead before turning around and jogging over to where the coaches were standing.

After talking to them for a few minutes, he jogged back to Haley and led her back up the stairs by the hand. When they were out of the eye of everyone on the court, he turned towards her and pulled her into his arms. "God, you're amazing."

Haley laughed and brought her mouth up to his, slowly deepening the kiss and just enjoying the moment.

Nathan broke the kiss after a few minutes. "Let's get out of here, is Lucas waiting outside?"

"Yeah, he is." Haley placed one last quick kiss on his lips before taking his hand in hers and leading him out to the car. As she climbed into the back seat and cuddled into his chest, she couldn't help but feel that now everything was okay.

As long as they were together, they could face anything that came their way.

* * *

**This is the first day of my life  
**I swear I was born right in the doorway  
I went out in the rain suddenly everything changed  
They're spreading blankets on the beach

**Yours is the first face that I saw  
I think I was blind before I met you  
Now I don't know where I am  
I don't know where I've been  
But I know where I want to go**

And so I thought I'd let you know  
That these things take forever  
I especially am slow  
**But I realize that I need you**  
And I wondered if I could come home

**Remember the time you drove all night  
Just to meet me in the morning  
And I thought it was strange you said everything changed  
You felt as if you had just woke up  
And you said "this is the first day of my life  
I'm glad I didn't die before I met you  
But now I don't care I could go anywhere with you  
And I'd probably be happy**"

So if you want to be with me  
With these things there's no telling  
We just have to wait and see  
But I'd rather be working for a paycheck  
Then waiting to win the lottery  
**Besides maybe this time is different  
I mean I really think you like me**

"First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes

* * *

Well there it is guys- hope you enjoyed it! I left a little cliffhanger in there with the Haley situation, I just wanted to see what everyone's thoughts on that were. So R&R!

Kylie


	8. For Your Love

So this is just a short little fluff filled chapter. I wrote this part and I really liked the direction it took and I wanted it to stand on its own. So I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Eight-** **For Your Love**

"Hales, how did you manage to get such a nice room?" Nathan asked her, as he sat down on the couch next to her.

They were staying in a hotel considering Nathan couldn't have any guests stay over in his dorm. And as his coaches had told him- especially not his female wife. Haley had figured as much so they had checked into this hotel when they arrived- Lucas, Brooke, and Peyton were staying right down the hall. Nathan, though, believed that it was only Lucas who had made the trip out here with Haley.

"Well, I had just booked a normal room, but when we checked in the manager was at the desk and apparently his daughter got to see me on tour and is a huge fan. Thus the upgrade to this beautifully decorated Presidential Suite, which was on the house after I signed a few things for her and took some pictures."

"Wow, it really is such a small world," Nathan said as he took Haley's hand in his and laced their fingers together. "That must be weird, having people ask you for your autograph and to take pictures with them. Does it bother you?"

"Nope," Haley said, gently rubbing Nathan's thumb with her own. "It was a little bit weird at first, but then you start to realize that those people look up to you and respect your music. So, I really just started to take every autograph as a compliment- my fans just appreciating my hard work."

"I'm proud of you, Hales. I never told you that and I just wanted you to know."

"Nathan…"

"No, listen to me. Since I've been down here, I've really been thinking about a lot of things. I mean, I finally realized how much of an ass I was these past few months."

"Nathan, you don't need to do this." She interrupted him.

"Yes, I do, just let me finish. When we first got married, I supported you and your music career way before you even would. I bought you the keyboard- which by the way I'm going to have to get you a new one when we get home- and I encouraged you to sing at TRIC. Just like I told you, I believed in you when you couldn't because that's what we are supposed to do for each other. Then suddenly I felt threatened and was completely blind to the fact that things were really falling into place for you. So I shut myself out and gave you an ultimatum, when I should have been happy for you and should have told you that I would wait forever for you. Because I would, I still would if you told me you wanted to go back on tour. I understand it now and I know that you were just trying to follow your dream. The thing is we shouldn't have to choose, because we can have both."

Nathan took a deep breath, knowing that what he was going to say was going to be hard, but he knew he had to say it at least once. "If you told me that you wanted to go back on tour, I would understand and I would let you go."

"Nathan," she whispered as a tear fell down her cheek, softly bringing her palms up to rest on his cheeks. "That's not what I want, I want to be with you. That's all I've ever wanted."

"But I'd be here waiting for you as soon as you came back, and we could talk on the phone everyday. Haley, when we first started going out I did some horrible things, but for some reason you stuck by me. I mean, look at the reason why we started out. That was such an asshole of a thing for me to do, but you saw past all that. You saw the real me when no one else could. And you forgave me time and time again and you taught me what love is really about. I don't even know where I would be without you, but I don't even want to ever have to consider it. I love who I've become and I have only you to thank for it all. So if you want to go back on tour, just tell me and I know that we'll be able to work everything out. We'll make it work…"

"I'm pregnant." Haley hadn't meant to tell him like that, but he just kept talking and she couldn't get him to stop. "I'm sorry…" she said as she stood up from the couch, suddenly needing to pace. Nathan was truly shocked, she could tell by the look on his face, and she instantly felt horrible for just blurting it out like that. "I know it's crazy and that we're way too young- I mean we're still in high school! - but it happened. I mean we were so careful that night before you left, but it was a pretty amazing night. And after the first few times, I think we just got caught up in everything and I think we became less careful. I've spent the past day and a half rationalizing it, but the fact is that we're going to have a baby and nothing's going to change that."

Nathan was still speechless and Haley didn't blame him. She had just thrown a lot at him and it was a really big deal. A baby was going to change the rest of their lives. She stopped pacing and placed herself in front of Nathan, trying to get him to respond to something. It wasn't like him to be so quiet, but she wanted to give him time to let everything sink in so she didn't say anything else, just stood there.

"A baby, wow…" was all he could say.

"Yeah, I know," she softly responded. Nathan reached up and placed his hand on her stomach and she looked down to see a faint smile playing on his lips. Suddenly Haley didn't feel so worried and it was amazing how something as simple as his touch could make her feel so safe and secure. "What are you thinking, mister?" she asked as she placed her hands on his head, softly running her fingers through his hair.

"Well, at first I was definitely just shocked because a baby in high school is just plain crazy. But then again we've never been normal and that's what I love about us. Sure, it'll be hard, but I think it will be pretty amazing too." He placed his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as possible, placing a gentle kiss on her belly through her clothes. "I'm just a little scared, I guess. I mean- look at my dad. I don't want to end up like that…"

"Nathan," Haley started, placing a finger under his chin so that he was forced to look at her. "You are going to be an amazing dad. I can already tell. You are nothing like Dan and you never have to worry about being like him. You'll just want to treat your child the exact opposite way considering you know first hand how his parenting skills, or lack there of, affected you."

Nathan pulled Haley down so that she was sitting in his lap and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "So, how are you? Do you feel okay? I mean- what do you feel in general?

Haley laughed at the fact that he was so curious, also happy that he was so interested. "Well so far it's just been morning sickness, which hasn't been that bad. And other than that, I haven't really felt anything else. The baby won't start moving for awhile, so it's just kind of been normal. I do have to go to the doctor though"

"Why, is something wrong?"

"No," she smiled, kissing his cheek. "Everything's fine, I just need to go have a checkup and get another pregnancy test. I mean with the ten home pregnancy tests I already took, the morning sickness, and the fact that I'm late- there's no doubt in my mind, but I just want to be sure."

"Understandable. Do you want me to go with you?"

"Of course!" She said- playfully hitting his chest. "You're in this too, mister, every step of the way."

"Good, because I wouldn't have it any other way."

Haley couldn't help but lean down and kiss him. It didn't take them long to deepen the kiss, after all they had been away from each other for two weeks and now had a huge hotel room all to themselves. She reached between them and lifted Nathan's shirt off, breaking their kiss only momentarily. She ran one hand over the hard muscles of his chest and used her free hand to reach down and start unbuckling her belt with the help of Nathan.

Nathan pulled back from the kiss and Haley looked up at him, confused. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Are you sure that this is okay?" he naively asked.

Haley couldn't help but break into a fit of giggles. "Nathan, babe, did you ever pay attention in health? Do you think pregnant women honestly go nine months without having sex?"

"I don't know- I just don't want to hurt you or the baby."

Haley resituated herself so that she was straddling his lap. "You won't hurt us, I promise. Now it has been about two and a half weeks since I last saw you, and I plan on using this night to our full advantage! Do you agree with me?"

Nathan didn't say anything, just stood up, taking Haley with him. She laughed as she wrapped her legs around his waist and leaned forward to place kisses on his neck. He started walking towards the bedroom and Haley thought he was going to stop, but he kept walking past the bed.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked playfully.

"Well I was at practice this whole morning and I feel very stinky, so I am making you take a shower with me." He reached into the shower and turned on the water, still holding tightlyonto Haley.

"Making me, huh? It seems as though you still think you own me… And why would you want to take a shower? We're just going to spend the whole night getting sweaty again." She said suggestively, leaning forward to nibble on his ear.

"You are such a tease, Hales, I love it." He couldn't help but smile as she giggled- he had always found it so sexy. "Now we are taking a shower whether you like to or not because I have dreamt of this moment the past two weeks, and I'm not letting it pass me by."

"No complaints here- I mean this shower is huge!" She laughed and reached down to remove her own shirt. Nathan put her down so that they could shed the rest of their clothing and then he playfully chased her into the shower.

They both allowed the warm water to roll down their bodies, never fully breaking contact from each other. "You know the best thing about all of this?" Haley asked as she leaned against the wall, pulling him towards her.

"What?" he asked, leaning forward to place kisses along her jaw, her neck, and her collarbone.

"We don't even have to worry about protection." She laughed and placed her hands on the small of his back, pulling him even closer.

"You want to know the other best thing?" he asked.

"What?"

"I've never found you as sexy as I do right now," he whispered in her ear as he placed his hands on her hips.

She smiled and whispered back, "I love you so much, Nathan."

"I love you too, Hales"

They didn't say anything else, just let their lips take over and do the talking for them. The rest of the night was spent in perfect harmony, sleeping for only short periods of time before the need for each other's touch became too much to take. They held onto each other tightly, as if they would never let go, never fully pulled away from each other. Neither one could of asked for a better reunion.

Nathan didn't sleep much, too worried that this was all a dream that he didn't want to wake up from. He softly stroked Haley's face, or her hair, in her moments of sleep- never wanting to let go of her. It amazed him how sometimes she would reach out for him while she slept, as if her unconscious was still awake and yearning for him. Nothing had ever felt this perfect.

But the good thing was that they both had learned from everything they'd been through. They knew that life wouldn't continue to be this perfect forever, they weren't naïve like they used to be, but they both knew they would do their best to take advantage of the moments that came along like this. And that's how they were going to make their forever last.

* * *

You are every part of me  
And with every breath I take  
Your love will light my way  
And for every day I live  
The promise that I made  
Is I will never let you go babe

I swear I never knew love like this before  
And for everything you are  
I gotta make you know  
For your love

And I'd give anything for your love  
'Cause baby I'd never make it alone  
And forever I'll stand by your side  
I just gotta make you see yeah  
I only live... for your love  
When I was running out of faith  
You still believed in me  
And never let me fall  
And the times I lost my way  
You're the one who held me up  
And brought me through it all

I swear I never saw it like this before  
'Cause baby with your love you gave me  
The reason to go on  
And for your love

And I'd give anything for your love  
'Cause baby I'd never make it alone  
And forever I'll stand by your side  
I just gotta make you see yeah  
I only live... for your love  
When I was running out of faith  
You still believed in me  
And never let me fall  
And the times I lost my way  
You're the one who held me up  
And brought me through it all

And everything I am  
And all that I could be  
Would mean nothing now  
If you're not with me  
Shinin' your light on me  
When night is closen' in  
When I was weak  
You were the one who made me strong  
you gave me faith to carry on

And I'd give anything for your love  
'Cause baby I'd never make it alone  
And forever I'll stand by your side  
I just gotta make you see yeah  
I only live... for your love  
When I was running out of faith  
You still believed in me  
And never let me fall  
And the times I lost my way  
You're the one who held me up  
And brought me through it all

-"For Your Love" by Jessica Simpson

* * *

Thanks so much for reading and all of the reviews! Feedback is my fuel and it keeps me going! I hope you enjoyed this chapter- I know it is shorter than my usual, but I really liked how it turned out and thought it was too special to be mixed in with other stuff. So this was just strictly fluff! Also- I kind of wanted to have Nathan say some of the things I had him say... I mean Haley forgave him for a lot of things during Season One and I think that's been very overlooked. Anyway hope you enjoy and please R&R!

Kylie


	9. Wedding Song

**Chapter Nine- Wedding Song**

Haley woke up on Sunday morning with a smile on her face because it was finally the day of the wedding. All her planning the past few days was finally going to come together in just a few hours. She smiled as she felt Nathan's chest rising and falling against her back as he breathed deeply, spooned up behind her. It made her laugh that they had a huge king sized bed, but somehow they had woken up the past two days entwined together and barely taking up half of the bed.

Yesterday had been an interesting day- trying to spend time with Nathan while trying to finish last minute plans and also trying to keep him from seeing Brooke and Peyton. Haley figured now would be a good time to run down to their room and go through the schedule for today. She reached down and did her best to carefully remove Nathan's arms from around her. He rustled slightly, but then rolled onto his other side without waking.

Haley did her best to silently grab her robe and walk out of the room. She covered her eyes as she opened the main door, slightly blinded by the bright lights of the hallway. As quickly as she could, she walked down the hall and around the corner and knocked on their hotel door.

Haley was surprised to see Peyton answer the door and she quickly got into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Peyton, I thought we agreed that only Lucas could open the door!"

"Relax, I looked in the peephole first! And besides, Lucas and Brooke are still in bed."

"Oh, Peyt, I'm sorry you got stuck rooming with the two of them. So, have you heard any strange noises or anything like that?" Haley joked.

"Haley: first of all eww! And second of all no- they have both respected the fact that I'm sharing a hotel room with them."

Haley laughed. "Or they at least respected you quietly."

"Haley!" Peyton exclaimed as she sat back down at the table to finish her room service breakfast. "You know, if you hadn't got us this nice hotel room I'd be kicking your ass right now."

"Oh, wouldn't you like to try," Haley said, taking a seat at the table across from her.

"So how's your sex life?" Peyton asked, trying to get back at Haley.

"Peyton!" Haley exclaimed, picking up a cloth napkin and throwing it at her friend.

"Hey, I don't have one so I need to live vicariously through my friends." Peyton stated the obvious.

"Yeah, well you used to have sex with my husband so live vicariously through someone else's." Haley said, joking with Peyton. "Seriously, though, the past two nights have been the most amazing of my life."

"I haven't really had the chance to sit down with you lately so I forgot to ask- what happened with your little last minute pick up before we left Brooke's house?"

Haley hadn't let Peyton in the room when she took the pregnancy test, because no matter how much she needed her support- she didn't want anyone knowing before Nathan did. Peyton has respected her privacy and space, as she always did, and waited patiently for Haley to tell her when it was right. But curiosity had started to get the best of her.

"Well, I guess you get to be the first to know that in nine months there will be a little James-Scott running around, terrorizing Tree Hill."

"Oh Haley!" Peyton shot out of her chair and ran to Haley, picking her up and pulling her into a hug. "Congratulations!" Peyton calmed down and pulled back, "Wait, this is a good thing right?"

Haley laughed, "Yes, it's a very good thing. It was rather unexpected, but so many amazing things in life are. Nathan was a little scared at first, mainly because he doesn't want to end up like Dan, but then he became so excited and happy and he's going to be such a great dad."

"Yes he will- there's no way in hell he will turn out like Dan. I mean, he was never THAT much of an ass."

Haley laughed again, giving Peyton another squeeze before pulling away. "You're such a good friend, Peyton, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably lead a very boring life," came a voice behind them.

Haley and Peyton turned to see Lucas walking towards them, in only his boxers. Haley shot a look at Peyton and the girls quietly laughed to themselves. "What is all the screaming about out here?" Lucas asked. He turned towards Haley, "Congratulations for what?"

"Well, I guess you get a congratulations too," Peyton said, giving him a pat on the back.

"For what!" Lucas asked again.

"Well, because I'm going to be a mommy and you're going to be an uncle." Haley plainly stated, not sure how Lucas was going to react to the news.

"Seriously, Hales? That's awesome!" Lucas said, sweeping her into his arms and gently lifting her off the ground. "Well, it is a good thing right?"

Haley smiled, as Lucas was the second to ask her that, and hugged him tighter. "Yeah, it's a really good thing."

He placed Haley back on the ground and pulled back, suddenly looking a little worried. "Does Nathan know yet?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course he does- he was the first person I told!"

"Okay, good. How's he doing?"

Haley laughed, "He's doing really well. He's just as excited about this baby as I am."

"Wait did I just hear right," they heard Brooke say as she ran into the room. "Do I finally get to make booties?"

They all laughed and Haley nodded her head. "Yes, Brooke, you finally get to make us booties. But we don't know which color yet."

"That's okay, I'll just make both!" She pulled Haley into a tight hug and squealed in her ear. "Congratulations- you guys both really deserve it!"

"Thank you so much, all of you. Well, now that you guys all know, I'm going to get back to our room. Lucas- you want to come get Nathan in about twenty minutes?" Haley asked.

The plan for the day was to have Lucas take Nathan to play basketball for about two hours, giving the girls enough time to get everything ready for the wedding. Lucas was then going to tell Nathan that they had to shower to meetHaley for lunch- and that he had to look nice because they were going to a more upscale restaurant. That way Nathan wouldn't be wearing his usual warm up shorts and a t-shirt to his second wedding. Which really wouldn't bother Haley, but she didn't want him feeling out of place among her and all of their guests.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll just eat something and then be down to pick him up."

"Okay, see you guys in a little bit!" Haley walked back to her room and quietly opened the door, wanting to climb back into the bed with Nathan for just a few more minutes. Much to her surprise, he wasn't in bed at all, but sitting on the couch waiting for her.

He stood up and walked over to her as she shut the door behind her, placing his arms around her waist and kissing her forehead. "Hey, where were you? I missed you when I woke up?"

"Oh, I was just talking to Lucas and making sure that he was still playing ball with you today." She kissed one of his cheeks and then the other.

"You know, why don't you come with us? I really don't want to leave you here all alone and we're probably going to be there a few hours." He responded to her kisses by leaning forward and softly kissing her neck.

"Nathan, I'll be fine here, and besides it'll be nice to relax for awhile. Order some room service and watch a movie or two- it'll be nice for me." She reached her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer towards her.

"Well then, how about I stay here with you and we do a different kind of relaxing."

Haley laughed as Nathan playfully tickled her sides and gently pushed him back. "Nathan, you told Lucas you would go out with him. Like you said, it will only be a few hours and then we'll have the whole evening to ourselves."

"You know, it's really nice that Lucas has given us our space the past two days. I wonder what he's been doing."

"Oh, I'm sure he's kept himself busy," Haley responded, silently laughing to herself. Soon enough Nathan would find that Lucas hadn't been alone the past two days…

"Alright, well I better go get changed. When I get back though, you better be waiting for me in that bed naked."

Haley laughed as he turned to walk into the bedroom, yelling after him, "In your dreams!" Because truthfully, she wouldn't be here when he came back.

Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door and Haley opened it to see Lucas on the other side. "Come on in," she said, stepping aside so that he could walk into the room.

Nathan stood up from the couch where they had been sitting and shook Lucas' hand. "Ready to get your ass kicked, man?"

"It's so comforting to know you'll always be cocky, Nate." Lucas turned to Haley, "Alright, Hales, see you in a little bit." He winked at her before turning back to Nathan. "Well, let's go get this over with, I want to make it painless for you."

Nathan laughed and gently pulled Haley into his arms, kissing her sweetly on the lips. "I'll see you in a little while, and remember what I said."

She laughed and kissed him back. "Yeah, yeah, get out of here."

He gave her a devilish grin and lightly tapped her behind before grabbing his bag and leaving the room. Haley shut the door behind him and waited five minutes before calling Peyton and Brooke and telling them to come down to her room. She also called room service and ordered a large serving ofchocolate chip pancakes because she was absolutely starving, and she was also eating for two now. Not a minute later there was a knock on the door and she opened it for Peyton and Brooke. There arms were full due to the fact they were carrying the three dresses, the shoes, and a ton of makeup and hair supplies.

Brooke walked into the room and turned around towards Haley. "Ready to get beautiful?"

* * *

Haley was nervous and she couldn't stop pacing, but it at least felt somewhat relaxing to feel the sand between her toes. The ceremony was less than a half hour away- the priest would be here any minute and Nathan would be here in about twenty. She wanted everything to run smoothly, but most of all she wanted Nathan to be happy. 

"Haley Bub, you're going to dig yourself a grave if you keep walking back and forth in that same spot." She heard a voice say behind her.

Haley turned around to see her parents and she ran straight into their arms. "Thank you guys so much for coming, I don't know what I would have done without you!"

"There's no way we would have missed it," Jim James said. "But you'll never guess who we ran into in the parking lot."

Lydia and Jim moved aside so that Haley could see who was standing behind them and she was surprised at what she saw. Dan and Deb had made it. Dan was sitting helplessly in a wheelchair and Deb was standing behind him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Scott, I'm so glad that you came!" Haley pulled Deb into a hug, so excited that they had made it. "Nathan's going to be so happy when he sees you two!"

Deb pulled back and looked Haley over. "Not as happy as he'll be when he sees you. Haley you look beautiful- almost like you're glowing."

Haley smiled at that comment. No matter how badly she wanted to tell their parents, Nathan and Haley had decided to wait a week or two before they said anything about the baby. Besides, neither of them knew how their parents would react to the news. _One step at a time_, Haley thought to herself.

"Deb's right, Haley, you look absolutely stunning. Nathan's really lucky to have found you."

"Wow, thank you, Mr. Scott." Haley turned back to her parents and laughed at the look on their faces. They both seemed just as surprised as Haley to hear those words out of his mouth. "Why don't you all go take a seat? It looks like the priest just got here and Nathan should be coming very soon. So get comfortable and maybe get to know each other a little."

"That sounds nice," Lydia said, giving Haley another hug. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, mom."

After another ten minutes of pacing, Brooke ran up to Haley clutching her cell phone in her hand. "Lucas just called and gave the five minute warning! They're going to be here really soon!"

Haley's stomach fluttered and she took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. "Okay, let's get everyone in their spots!"

* * *

Nathan was very confused. "Luke, why are we here? I know there aren't any nice restaurants along this part of the beach." 

"We're just making a quick detour," Lucas answered as he pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. "Besides, I think you'll really want to see this."

"No, Luke, I really just want to see Haley."

"Nate, just get out of the car!" Lucas followed his own directions and got out of the car, walking a few steps into the sand. He looked to the right and he could see the chairs set up and everyone all ready for the ceremony to start. If he hadn't been a part of this whole thing, he wouldn't have been able to tell what was going on from here. It was exactly the way Haley had planned it. Lucas just started walking, knowing that Nathan wouldn't have any other choice than to follow him, which he hesitantly did.

"Luke, come on man, what are we doing?"

Lucas didn't answer and Nathan continued to follow him down the beach. They were headed towards a group of people, most of which were sitting while a few stood at the front end. Nathan was curious to know what was going on, but he would much rather be on the way to lunch with Haley. "Lucas, I mean it, we're going to be late."

"Nathan, don't worry, you're not late," Lucas responded, still not stopping.

Nathan was starting to get really pissed off until he started to get close enough to see that he knew these people in front of him.

His body instantly stopped in the sand when he realized it was Haley standing in front of all their family and friends. She looked absolutely beautiful and Nathan suddenly found himself being reminded to breathe. "Lucas, what's going on?" he asked, finally finding his voice.

"You're getting married again, what else does it look like?" Lucas patted him on the back and nudged him gently in Haley's direction. "She's waiting for you, man."

As Nathan got closer he looked around at all his friends and family. Brooke, Peyton, Haley's parents, and even his own which was a real shock. He took a few more steps forward and finally looked up to meet Haley's eyes with his own, just as a single tear fell down his cheek. No one had ever made such a gesture towards him in his whole life, and it was the most moving thing he'd ever experienced. He walked faster towards her, partly to get to her faster, but mostly because he felt like an idiot walking down the aisle.

Haley's heart melted as he came nearer and she noticed tracks of tears on his cheeks that mirrored her own. She hadn't truly felt calm until she saw him standing at the other end of the aisle, the look of genuine love on his face. As their eyes connected she felt as though they were the only two on the beach.

Nathan finally stood next to her and took both of her hands in one of his, gently wiping away her tears with the other. He placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Haley, how did you? When did you?" He took a deep breath to compose himself. "This is absolutely amazing. God, I love you."

Haley laughed and kissed him back. "I love you, too, and I'll tell you everything later."

"Are we ready to begin?" the priest asked.

Haley and Nathan both nodded their heads in agreement. Nathan quickly looked around at all their guests. Peyton and Brooke were Haley's bridesmaids, of course, and Lucas and JR were standing behind him. Nathan laughed at seeing JR there, but he had told Haley that he had been like a replacement Time. He turned back to Haley, not wanting to take his eyes off of her for the rest of the ceremony.

The service was going pretty fast and suddenly they reached the vows, which Nathan realized he wasn't prepared for at all.

"Haley has prepared her own vows and would like to say them now," the priest announced.

Haley smiled at the worried look on Nathan's face. "Nathan, it's okay," she whispered to only him, taking both of his hands in hers. "Just listen to mine and when I'm done you can either say something or not say something, it's up to you." She sighed and cleared her throat, flashing him a confident smile.

She spoke so that everyone could hear her this time. "Nathan, we have been through so much together, and I know that everyone says that, but we really have. I wouldn't change any of it, not even the difficult things, because it was those things that made our relationship stronger. A year ago if you would have told me that we'd be here today, I wouldn't have believed you, but I'm so glad that we are. I love you more than I've loved anything else in my whole life, and even though it scares me sometimes, with you I'll always have enough faith to just jump. I can't wait to continue our journey through life together and to share many more wonderful years with you. I could love you forever."

Haley nodded at the priest as Nathan laughed at their personal little inside joke. The priest looked over at him, waiting to see if Nathan would say anything. At first he was a little apprehensive, considering he had nothing prepared, but suddenly the words justcame to him.

"Haley, I once told you that I would always protect you, and I've never meant anything more. I would do anything for you and I never knew the meaning of true love until you came into my life. Together I know we can face anything that may come our way. No matter how big the obstacle, with you right beside me I know we'll be able to get through it. You changed me and made me into a better person and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that. It is your belief in me that causes me to make the decisions I do, and with you they are always the right decisions. I can't wait to share this next year with you, and no matter what unexpected things come our way," he paused and winkied at only her, a small mention of the baby that only she understood, "just know that I will always love you and I'll always be here for you."

Nathan knew what came next and he didn't wait for the priest to say anything, just took Haley in his arms and kissed her. There was laughter behind them, but they stayed in the moment together and deepened the kiss. When they finally broke the kiss, Peyton and Brooke started clapping behind them and everyone else joined in. Nathan and Haley started laughing and waited as the priest said a few parting words. When he finished Haley planted another kiss on Nathan's lips and then turned to their family and friends. "There's going to be a reception at our hotel so if you see Lucas he'll give you the directions." She turned back to the priest to thank him and laughed as Nathan grabbed her hand and pulled her off to the side.

"Haley, I can't believe you did all of this. When did you have the time?"

"Well, I just kind of threw it all together..."

They laughed and he pulled her into his arms. "God, you're amazing. This is the best thing anyone's ever done for me and I have no clue what I did to deserve you."

"The jury's still out on that one." Haley laughed and stood on her tip toes so that she could give him a kiss.

"Hales, Nathan, let's go! Everyone's waiting for you two lovebirds!" Lucas called from a few feet down the beach, his arm around Brooke.

Haley pulled back and giggled as Nathan placed a sweet kiss on her nose. "Alright, Mrs. Scott, we shouldn't keepour family waiting."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Nathan placed his arm around her shoulders and Haley placed hers around his waist. "You know you look absolutely beautiful right now." he said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"If you keep saying things like that we are never going to make it to the party."

Nathan stopped walking and pulled Haley into his arms. "That would be fine with me." He leaned down and started kissing Haley's neck.

"Nathan!" she laughed as he hit a tickleish spot. "Seriously, they're waiting for us. I promise you we can do this later, when we have the whole hotel room to ourselves. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait."

Nathan laughed and kissed her once more. "Oh, I know it will be. I love you so much, Hales."

Haley put her head on his shoulder as they walked the rest of the way to the car. "I love you too, Nathan"

Haley couldn't help but feel that now everything was perfect. They had their love, family and friends, and a baby on the way. There was nothing more that they could possibly want or need. She wasn't afraid to face the future anymore; she was back to feeling confident and it felt good. This ceremony had been a way for them to start their marriage all over again, to forget the pain in the past and to move on with a new lease on life. And what an amazing lease it was going to be...

* * *

I've been having dreams and visions  
In them you are always standing  
Right beside me  
I reach out for your hand  
To see your arms extending  
Outstretched towards me

For you I don the veil  
By your light  
Others pale by comparison  
I place my faith in love  
My fate in this communication

I've been having dreams and visions  
In them you are always standing  
Right beside me  
I reach out for your hand  
To see your arms extending  
Outstretched towards me

To you I give my pledge  
I honor all that's good  
In this life we're living  
To think not only of myself  
But of the greater union

Can I get a witness  
There is salvation and rapture for the lonely  
Can I get a witness  
Bless this day sacred and holy  
Sacred and holy

I've been having dreams and visions  
In them you are always standing  
Right beside me  
I reach out for your hand  
To see your arms extending  
Outstretched towards me

With you I am revealed  
All my shame all my faults and virtues  
Behold body mind and spirit  
Heart and soul devoted all to you

Can I get a witness  
Bless this day sacred and holy  
Sacred and holy

-"Wedding Song" by Tracy Chapman

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed this part- hopefully I'll have Chapter Ten up soon. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful feedback. I love writing and I love knowing that it's being enjoyed! So keep sending the reviews and I'll keep sending the chapters! You guys are all the greatest!

Kylie


	10. Always Feel This Way

**Chapter Ten- Always Feel This Way**

Once the reception was started, it took about 20 minutes of saying hello to everyone but his parents before Nathan was able to steal Haley away. He took her outside because the reception hall they were in had a very romantic balcony attached to it. Nathan snuggled up behind Haley as they leaned on the balcony's edge, which overlooked a beautiful garden.

"Haley, today was absolutely amazing." He said, kissing her neck right below her ear and then resting his chin on her shoulder. "How did you have the time to plan all of this- and how did you even think to do this?"

"Well, the idea really only came to me a few days before I came here. I hadn't been sleeping that well, so I was up thinking about you and how much I missed you. See, I really wasn't feeling that great because in a way I understood how you felt when I left, only I knew it wasn't as bad because I left you thinking that everything was over between us. So I was up thinking about what I could do to show you how much I love you, and this just seemed like the perfect idea. Kind of like a whole new beginning for us. So I woke Lucas up in the middle of the morning to tell him my plan. He wasn't really convinced until I told him we would be flying to California first to pick up Brooke. Then we booked both flights, kidnapped Peyton, and here we are."

"You know, you didn't have to do all of this just to show me how much you love me. You came back and that was proof enough." He leaned forward slightly and kissed her cheek. "Just one last question- how did you convince my parents to come?"

"I can't take credit for that one because I really didn't think they were going to show. But I think your dad really wanted to come."

"My dad? I don't believe you."

"Well, when I went to ask them your mom said no right away, but Dan said yes. I really didn't expect them to come, but I guess your dad really wanted to."

A door opened behind them and they turned to see who it was. "Speak of the devil," Nathan whispered to Haley as his mom and dad came towards them. Nathan stepped away from Haley to hug his mom and shake his dad's hand, but immediately moved back to her side and placed his arm around her waist.

"Haley, everything looked beautiful, you really did such a good job." Deb commented.

"Well, I'm really glad that you guys made it on such short notice." Haley replied.

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world." Dan said, causing Nathan's jaw to momentarily drop.

He shot Haley a very confused look and turned to his dad. He didn't want to ruin the mood of the night, but he had to clear some things up. "So, why exactly are you guys here?" Nathan asked defensively.

"Nathan…" Haley tried to stop him by placing her hand on his arm, but he kept going.

"You guys haven't been supportive of our marriage since the beginning and now you show up like everything's okay? I don't buy it."

"Well, Nate, I do have an ulterior motive for coming here…" Dan started to say.

"I knew it," Nathan cut him off. "You just can't stay out of our life, can you?"

"I'm leaving Tree Hill," Dan proceeded to cut Nathan off. "What?" Deb asked, apparently unaware of his plan. "When did you decide this?"

"A few days ago. It's not permanent, I just need to get away for awhile. I've never been out of Tree Hill and I think it's too negative of a place for me right now. Plus, I think it will be better for all four of us."

"Wow, I'm pretty speechless." Nathan said, having absolutely nothing to say.

The door behind them opened again and they all looked to see Haley's parents walking towards them. "We were wondering where you guys went," Lydia said, joining their circle.

"We've wanted to do a toast since we got here," James said, handing them each a glass of sparkling grape juice.

"Don't worry, Hales, it's not alcoholic," Lydia said, winking at her.

No one saw it except for Haley and Nathan, and they looked at each with equally confused faces.

"Well, I just wanted to say congratulations to these two, yet again, but I already know that this time around it will be different. They've come out of this year even stronger than ever and that only means good things to come. I'm so glad that we could all make it here today to celebrate this marriage once again." James lifted up his glass and they all followed suite.

"So, while we're toasting and in a happy mood, I have an announcement to make." Haley said after taking a sip from her glass.

"Haley, are you sure we should?" Nathan asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that my mom already knows, and I think that everyone else should."

"What are you two talking about?" Deb asked.

"Nathan and I are going to have a baby," Haley said without trepidation. She wanted everyone to know, because her and Nathan were happy about it and she felt the same should go for everyone else.

"Oh Haley Bub," her mom laughed and pulled her into her arms. "I knew there was something different about you and soon as I saw you, and I was hoping that my instincts were right. I think this will be wonderful for you two, and I know you guys will both be great parents."

"How can they be great parents, they're both still in high school." Deb asked, but she was clearly the only one concerned.

"Deb, they're happy so we should be happy too," Dan told her, reaching out to shake Nathan's hands. "Well, now I guess I have a reason to return to Tree Hill a little earlier than expected. You know, I'm going to take your mom inside to get a drink, and we'll talk more about this later. Congratulations you two."

"Thanks," Nathan and Haley said at the same time as Dan and Deb went back inside.

"Honestly, I think my dad has gone nuts," Nathan said.

"Maybe he really has changed," James suggested.

"No, he's planning something, I can tell. He's had many opportunities to change in his lifetime and he's always gone back to his old self." Nathan just couldn't figure out what he had hid in his sleeve.

"Well, let's not think about that tonight. Tonight should be a happy night considering we have more than one thing to celebrate. Now your dad and I are going to go back inside to refill our drinks and brag to everyone, do you guys need anything?" Lydia asked.

"No, we'll be back in soon, just give us a few more minutes." Haley rested her cheek against Nathan's chest as her parents walked back into the hotel. "Do you think we can leave our party right now?"

Nathan laughed. "Well, I really would be all for it, but I think there are a few people that would mind."

"Yeah, but we've never cared about what anyone else thought, have we? Why should we start now?" She laughed and rested her chin on his chest so that she could look into the eyes that were staring back so intently into hers. "You know, I think it's so crazy how I'm not even scared about this pregnancy. I'm just so blessed to have you by my side and I know that we're going to make an amazing family. I don't have a doubt in the world."

"That's what I love about you, you always believe in the good things in life. I'm going to make those things possible for you, Hales. I want our child to have a life with everything he or she could possibly dream of. I want that more than anything."

"But they don't have to have everything, that's the thing. As long as our baby grows up in a loving home, it'll have everything that it needs. The rest is just material."

Nathan leaned down to gently brush his lips against hers. "I'm still going to do my best to find a steady job…"

Haley cut him off by placing one finger over his lips. "No, I won't allow it. You're going to focus on school and basketball. If you want a job, then it's just a few days a week. I have money left from the tour and I've already been looking at small houses in Tree Hill. Plus, I don't want us to both be working constantly and be so tired at the end of the day that we can't enjoy each other. It's too important to me."

Nathan could tell that he wasn't going to get off easily tonight. "Alright, well we don't have to talk about this right now. Let's just go back inside for a little while and then escape to our room."

Haley nodded and brought her lips to his. "I definitely like the sound of that."

* * *

Haley and Nathan ended up staying at the reception longer than expected, but two hours later they had finally broken away and were heading towards their room. Their fingers were linked together and Nathan was lightly rubbing her thumb with his own. "Did you see J.R. flirting with Peyton?" Haley asked Nathan as they walked down the hallway. 

"Yeah, he was pretty obvious. He told me that he had a big thing for blondes though, and I mean Peyton is available."

"Yeah, but I don't think that she would move on that fast after Jake. I mean, there's still the chance that he may come back home." Haley always liked stating the positive.

"True, but who knows when."

Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of their door and Nathan reached in his pocket to remove his key. "Well, you know I never thought I would have the chance to do this again, but I guess I've been proved wrong."

"Do what?" Haley asked.

At the same time, Nathan lifted her off of her feet and into his arms. "Carry you over the threshold. I mean I think it's called for after a second wedding."

Haley laughed and gave him an Eskimo kiss. "I'm definitely not complaining. We could pretend to get remarried everyday."

"Yeah, now you're just reaching." Nathan carefully opened the door and brought Haley inside.

Haley couldn't believe what she saw as she turned around. It was a similar version of what Nathan had done to their own apartment after their first wedding, except with not as many candles. There were long stemmed roses in the kitchen area, and on the coffee tables, and lining the path to the bedroom. Rose petals were scattered throughout the whole hotel room, both in reds, whites, and pinks.

"Nathan, how did you?" Haley said, without finishing her thought.

"Well, it's pretty amazing because even though I didn't know about the whole wedding today, I had all of this planned anyway. I had a little bit of help though."

"Babe, it's so perfect, I can't even believe it." She leaned her back into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist, their fingers locking together and resting softly on her stomach. Nathan leaned forward and kissed her neck, causing a shiver of excitement to run through Haley's body.

Nathan felt the same way as he followed his beautiful wife to the bedroom. Everything was finally perfect. They had each other and a baby on the way, and there was nothing more that they needed. He knew that with Haley by his side, anything was possible. That's the way it had always been, and it was the way it would always be.

* * *

Ohh no don't you come at me  
With that look you got so down  
**You got me floating like a bubble  
Ever since you came around**

**And even strangers seem to notice  
And all my friends can tell**  
To keep you comin I just keep on running  
But your lovin tripped me and I fell

**I hope I always  
Always feel this way**  
Always feel this way

Pushin my buttons like we're on the elevator  
**Keep your eyes on this, but savin it for later  
Cause we never rushed, and we always took our time  
Make sure to make me yours, I'll make sure to make you mine**

**And then we'll always, always  
feel this way**  
always feel this way

**Cause you got what I want  
You got what I need  
Baby I don't wanna settle for no other  
Can't you see  
All you need is me**

To always feel this way….

**So if you're wishin on stars  
You better go out and get it  
Cause if you want it bad enough  
You won't stop until you have it**

**Don't let them tell you  
what you can and cannot do  
You've got to see it through  
Like you always knew**

It'd feel this way…

**Always feel this way  
Never gonna change  
And always feel this way…**

-"Always Feel This Way" by Tristan Prettyman

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it guys! R&R and let me know what you thought- feedback is what keeps me alive! Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far- it means so much to me! Thanks especially to Sam and Steph, my BJL board girlies because theywere the ones who finally got meworking on thischapter!Oh and the song I used in this song is by Tristan Prettyman- just a little OT comment but you should all check her out if you haven't before!

Kylie


	11. Untitled

**Chapter 11 – Untitled**

**Two and a half months later**

Haley had forgotten how wonderful it made her feel to watch Nathan play ball. The simple thrill of watching him run back and forth on the court and sink shots one after the other, it just amazed her.

"Go Nathan!" she yelled as he lined up for a three pointer and made it almost as if without effort. He pointed at her and winked before following the rest of his team to the other end of the court.

It was the final scrimmage of High Flyers and it was by far the most important. At the end of the game the coaches were picking the MVP and Haley had a strong sense that it would be Nathan. His coaches were really proud of him and told him that he had the most heart out of all the players. Nathan told Haley that he owed it all to her and she couldn't help but feel proud.

They were finally going home in two days and Haley was so excited to get back to Tree Hill. She couldn't wait to settle into the house that she had bought last month and be able to spend time with her friends again. It was conveniently located on the same street as Karen's house, just a few blocks down. Lucas and Brooke were actually still living in Karen's house, but Karen and Andy were returning in a week and Haley was pretty sure that it wouldn't last long after their homecoming. Peyton was also back in Tree Hill, trying to reconnect with Elizabeth and still desperately missing Jake.

Haley looked up as the buzzer sounded the end of the game. Nathan's team had won 99-75, but big surprise there considering his team had been undefeated. He quickly jogged off the court towards their bench, which she was seated directly behind. He walked past the team, quickly high fiving them all, so that he could get to Haley. He leaned down to give her a kiss and then said, "I bet you can't wait to be an NBA wife so that you can sit in a skybox and not behind all the stinky players."

She laughed and reached up to give him a kiss back. "You know that I'll always sit behind the team, I'd miss you too much up in a skybox. I wouldn't be able to talk to you or steal kisses from you up in a skybox."

"I'm betting that's exactly why they do it."

Haley scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out, lightly tapping him on the butt as he went back to the bench to celebrate with his team.

Ten minutes later, he came back to get her, where she was patiently still waiting. She took the hand he was extending to her and followed him to the center of the court, where a tiny stage had been erected. All the players were standing in front of the stage and the coaches were all seated on it. Haley stood in front of Nathan as the coaches started their speeches, his hands resting on her stomach as they often liked to do these past three months.

The changes to her body were still minimal, only Haley and Nathan were able to tell that her belly had grown at all. Haley loved the way that Nathan was already doting on her and the baby. Sometimes at night when they were lying awake in each others arms, he would place his head in her lap and talk to the baby. She wanted to tell him that there was no way the baby could hear him yet, but it was just too adorable. It amazed her how they both already loved the child.

The beginning of the speeches brought her mind out of its daydream. "It's been a great three months with these players and they all have immense amounts of talent, otherwise they wouldn't be here in the first place. We as coaches have had the pleasure of working with them daily, both as players and as men. Three months always seems like such a short amount of time, but spending so much time together we normally form irreplaceable bonds. Now I get the wonderful honor of presenting our MVP with his trophy, and also a little gift that us coaches have put together. This player came to us as a lost boy and will be leaving us as a mature man. He worked hard to be the best player here and he had the heart to do it, and it showed everyday. I think we will all agree that he has more on his plate than most of us, but I've never seen anyone handle it so well at his age. So without further ado, I'd like to present this years MVP award to Nathan Scott."

Everyone started clapping and Nathan looked to Haley with a surprised look. She just laughed as he quickly kissed her and walked onto the stage to get his trophy. As he shook all of the coaches hands J.R. shouted out loudly from the crowd, "Speech!"

Haley knew how shy Nathan could be sometimes in front of loud crowds and she watched as he apprehensively stood in front of the podium. "Well, I don't know what to say except that I'm pretty shocked. It's really been a great three months here with you guys and I've learned a lot from everyone. But as nice as you guys have all been, I couldn't have done any of it without my beautiful wife, Haley. It was really great to have her here and I'm so glad that she became the 'team mom' as most of you like to call her." Everyone laughed and Nathan looked directly into Haley's eyes.

"Time to go home, Hales."

* * *

It felt so nice to be home, Haley thought as she stepped off the plane and followed Nathan to the baggage claim. Lucas and Brooke were meeting them there and Haley was so glad to be seeing her best friend after over two months away. They waited patiently for their luggage to come to them, Haley resting her head on Nathan's shoulder while he gently massaged her shoulders. Surprisingly, it didn't take that long and they moved forward to grab their suitcases off the rotating belt. Haley bent down to get hers and as she did, she felt the most intense cramp she'd ever had in her life. It hurt so much that she doubled over in pain and reached forward to lean on the baggage claim for support.

"Miss, are you okay?" a man asked next to her, as he pulled her suitcase off for her.

She took a deep breath and stood up straight, the pain receding just as suddenly as it had come. "Yeah, yes I'm fine. I just…" she took her suitcase out of his hands. "Thank you so much."

He nodded, and Haley did her best to ignore the concerned look on his face. She turned to find Nathan, who was just grabbing his suitcase off the belt a few feet away. He had obviously not seen what happened to her, otherwise he would have immediately rushed to her side. She took another deep breath as he walked towards her, placing a smile on her face as he came closer. There wasn't a need to worry him, it was probably just something that happened to most women. If it happens again I'll tell him, she told herself, more just to calm herself down than anything else.

"You ready?" he asked as he came up next to her.

She nodded and smiled again. Outside, they were greeted at once by Lucas and Brooke. Lucas didn't waste any time and pulled her directly into his arms. As he pulled back, he reached for both of her hands and gently pushed her out in front of him. "I don't see a Scott baby yet."

They all laughed and Haley shook her head. "Obviously someone doesn't know anything about babies. I have barely started showing yet."

"Yeah, well I was just thinking since us Scotts are overachievers at everything else, we would be quick growers as well. Wow, Hales, your hands are like ice."

Haley quickly withdrew her hands from his and rubbed them together, still trying to take her mind off of what had happened just a few minutes before. "It was just cold on the plane, that's all." She hated lying, but she knew if she told them they would immediately rush her to the hospital and that wasn't what she wanted. She didn't plan on being the kind of woman who spent her whole pregnancy in the ER, worried about every little thing. Besides she knew that she was just tired from the flight and her muscles had probably been tense from being so confined in the seat.

Nathan took her hands in his and gave each of them a kiss on the palm. "I'll warm them up in the car," he said with a wink.

"Gross, spare us the details," Brooke joked as she reached down to pick up Haley's suitcase.

"Brooke, I can carry that," Haley protested.

"Nope, I insist. I can't wait for you guys to see your house, you really did a good job picking it out, Haley." Brooke said as they made their way to the parking garage.

"Yeah, well I saw it before I left for Florida and absolutely loved it. Nathan wouldn't have had much of a chance to convince me against it."

"Well, we moved the last few boxes of stuff into it this morning, so all you have to do now is unpack." Lucas informed them.

"Wow, you guys didn't have to do all of that." Nathan said.

"First of all, we really wanted to. And second of all, we didn't want you guys to come home to an empty house and worry about moving everything in. So we just took a few loads over the past few days."

"Thanks you guys, that really means a lot to us." Haley smiled at the generosity of her two friends. "I just hope you two didn't set the bed up yet, because I really don't like Brooke around it anymore."

Brooke looked back at her and all Haley could do was laugh as Brooke shot death rays in her direction.

"Why?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, nothing," Brooke smiled sweetly at Lucas. "Just a personal joke between Haley and me."

Haley laughed all the way to the car, so glad to be with her friends again. She wanted to concentrate on spending time with them and unpacking the rest of the day so she pushed the memory of the pain out of her head.

Besides, she told herself one last time, it hadn't meant anything anyway, right?

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading and for everyone who sent me the wonderful feedback! I really want to hear your thoughts on where this story is headed - so I would love reviews! Also, it was Untitled bc I really couldn't think of a song that fit this part- it's just kind of a filler chapter for the plot I have going in my head. So if you think of anything that would- let me know! Thanks again for taking the time to read :)**

**Kylie**


	12. Hold On

**ChapterTwelve – Hold On**

"Haley, this place is adorable."

They had been back from Florida for a week now and Peyton had finally found the time to stop by for a tour of the house.

"Yeah, we really like it. It is not too big and will be just enough room for the three of us." She finished pouring Peyton a glass of iced tea and took a seat across from her at the kitchen table. "So you've been pretty busy since we've been back. I'm taking it as a sign that things are going well with Elizabeth?"

"Well, it took some time at the beginning for me to accept the fact that she left so long ago, but I've begun to understand her reasons. We actually have a lot in common."

"That's great, Peyton, I'm glad things are working out. Have you heard from Jake at all?"

"He sent me one email. It's just so hard because I really wish I could be out there helping him find Jenny. I just want him to come home to me."

"He will when he finds her, but he knows its going to take some time."

"It would take less time if I helped him," Peyton objected.

"He doesn't want that kind of life for you, Peyt. He wants you to finish school and graduate." Haley was doing her best to comfort Peyton, but she knew that in the end Peyton would believe whatever she wanted to believe.

"Anyway, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Can you believe school starts in less than a week?"

Haley allowed for the change in subject. "I know- only six days away and then I get to be the pregnant girl in school. I so cannot wait!" Haley did her best fake sarcasm.

"Hales, you know it won't be like that. Everyone is happy for you and Nathan. Besides, it's not like your having the baby out of wedlock."

"Yeah, I know. It's just I'm not looking forward to walking around school with a huge belly."

"Oh man, Hales, is that the time already? I'm supposed to be meeting Ellie for dinner. Sorry to bail on you." Peyton stood up and began walking towards the front door.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today, Peyton, while Nathan was at orientation. Even though it ended up being you helping me to finish off the unpacking."

"You know I didn't mind, Haley." Peyton gave her a quick hug. "I'll give you a call tomorrow- you, me, and Brooke should do lunch."

"Yeah, that sounds really nice." Haley waved as Peyton pulled out of the driveway and then retreated to the family room. Flopping down on the couch, she finally succumbed to the quiet surrounding her by drifting off into a pleasant nap.

* * *

Nathan opened to front door to be greeted by a completely silent house. "Hales?" he called out. "Are you home?" 

Figuring that she had ran out on a quick errand, he kicked his shoes off and walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He smiled as he finally spotted Haley, sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. He tiptoed up next to her and quietly crouched down in front of her, lifting his fingers to gently brush the hair that had fallen on her face behind her ear. Subconsciously, her body reacted to his touch and nuzzled into the palm of his hand. It was the simplest of reflexes, but it always made him so happy to see how she reacted to his touch.

"Hales," he whispered into her ear, softly brushing a kiss over her cheek. "I'm home and ready to let you take advantage of me."

She stirred at the sound of his voice in her ear and slowly her eyes opened, adjusting to the sudden light. "Hey, babe," she whispered, reaching forward to return a kiss on his cheek. "How long have you been home?"

"I just got here two minutes ago. You looked so peaceful sleeping, but I'm absolutely starving. The kids drove me into the ground today!" Nathan had started orientation this week to be the head coach of the Tree Hill youth league basketball team. She could already tell that he was perfect for the job, the kids adored him and he loved sharing his talent with all of them. It only made her that much more excited to bring their own child into the world.

Haley smiled and gently massaged the back of his head with her fingers. "I could definitely eat. Peyton was over today and we finished unpacking the spare bedroom."

"Haley, you shouldn't have been moving around all that stuff."

"Nathan, I love that you're worried about me but it really wasn't that big of a deal and if I didn't do it, then you would just be stuck doing it after work. And I didn't want that."

He turned his head to the side slightly so that he could kiss her arm. "Well, I'm helping this weekend and you aren't doing any more moving until then. Deal?"

She smiled and nodded her head. "Deal. So about that food?"

Nathan laughed. "How about I go order a pizza and while it's on its way, you go soak in a nice, hot bath." He reached out and gently stroked her cheek with his fingers.

Haley turned towards the touch. "That sounds really nice, actually. Will you come visit me though after you order it?"

"Of course! How could I say no to seeing you naked in the tub? I just have to call Lucas quick and set up running for the morning and then I'll come 'visit'."

She laughed at the fact that he actually used his fingers to quote that word. "Okay, sounds good."

Nathan stood up and extended his hands to Haley to help her up off of the couch. He used it to his advantage and pulled her closer towards him, giving her a sweet kiss on the lips. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too," Haley said before returning the kiss. She slipped him one of her devilish grins as she wandered back to their bedroom to draw her bath. Sometimes she couldn't understand how she had made it on tour without him there. If she had to do it all over again, she would have asked him to come with her, because that was the way it should have been.

She turned on the faucet, and after finding the perfect temperature she began to slip out of her clothes. Wrapping a towel around herself, she waited for the tub to fill up. It didn't take too long and soon enough she was sinking into the calm, lukewarm water and letting the negative thoughts slip from her mind. She dipped below the surface momentarily, completely enjoying the serenity.

Haley sat in the water peacefully for ten minutes and then began to wonder what was taking Nathan so long. She turned to grab her towel from the ledge behind her and that was when she felt it; the pain that had ascended onto her in the airport. Only this time it didn't go as quickly as it came. It was stronger and it wasn't receding. What was happening to her? She tried to move to another position, but the pain stayed exactly where it was.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stand, even thought the best she could do was by crouching over. She grabbed her towel and quickly threw it around herself. "Nathan!" she called out towards the front of the house.

"I'll be right there, Hales!" he called back.

"No, Nathan, I need you!" She walked as far as the door frame, but couldn't bear the pain any longer. Leaning against it for support, she finally gave into the pain and the tears began rolling down her cheeks. She had no idea what was happening and she was scared. "Nathan!" she called one last time.

Nathan could hear the fear in her voice and he jogged quickly towards the bedroom. His heart stopped momentarily when he saw Haley leaning against the door frame, looking so scared and fragile, water still dripping down her body. "Hales…" he forced out, his mind not fully able to function.

"Nathan," Haley said breathlessly, "something's wrong."

* * *

Hold on  
Hold on to yourself  
For this is gonna hurt like hell  
Hold on  
Hold on to yourself  
You know that only time will tell  
What is it in me that refuses to believe  
This isn't easier than the real thing

My love  
You know that you're my best friend  
You know I'd do anything for you  
My love  
Let nothing come between us  
My love for you is strong and true

Am I in heaven here or am I...  
At the crossroads I am standing  
So now you're sleeping peaceful  
I lie awake and pray  
That you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll  
See another day and we will praise it  
And love the light that brings a smile  
Across your face  
Oh god if you're out there won't you hear me  
I know that we've never talked before  
Oh god the man I love is leaving  
Won't you take him when he comes to your door

Am I in heaven here or am I in hell  
At the crossroads I am standing  
So now you're sleeping peaceful  
I lie awake and pray  
That you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll  
See another day and we will praise it  
And love the light that brings a smile  
Across your face...

Hold on  
Hold on to yourself  
For this is gonna hurt like hell

-"Hold On" by Sarah McLachlan

* * *

Okay, just bear with me to see where this story is going! Let me know what you guys think- it is all so important to me! I can't believe that I almost let this story go, it was because of all of you that got me back on track and UDing again. I love where this story is headed now and I hope that you will also! R&R and give me all of your honest opinions.

Kylie


	13. When You Cry

**Chapter Thirteen – When You Cry**

Nathan couldn't stop pacing outside of the examining room, glancing every few seconds toward the door in hope to see the doctor coming out. They had already been in there for twenty minutes and he was starting to get really worried. He just wanted the doctor to come out and tell him that everything was fine; that Haley and the baby were doing okay. Better yet, he wanted to be in the room, holding Haley's hand and giving her support. It wasn't an irrational request, just a husband comforting his wife.

The door opened and Nathan turned to see the doctor, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Dr. is Haley okay? How about the baby?"

"Maybe you should sit down, Mr. Scott," the doctor said, motioning towards the seating area.

"No, I don't need to sit down, I just need for you to tell me what's happening." Nathan couldn't be patient, especially when it concerned Haley and the baby's health.

The doctor took a deep breath and nodded. "Haley lost the baby, Nathan."

Nathan didn't want to believe that he heard the doctor correctly. "Wait, she lost the baby, as in a miscarriage? How could this happen? The doctor in Florida said that everything looked great and that Haley was in perfect health."

"Sometimes these things happen, Nathan. It's just the way nature works to rid the body of an unhealthy baby. There was nothing either of you could have done. Now, I didn't tell Haley any of this because sometimes it's easier to handle coming from a loved one. Do you want to tell Haley yourself or do you want me to come back in with you and explain it to her?"

"No, I'll tell her myself."

"You sure?" the doctor asked him again.

"Yeah, she should hear it from me."

The doctor nodded. "Well, if you need anything at al, I'll be right down the hallway."

"When can she leave?" Nathan asked, knowing that Haley would want to get out of the hospital as soon as possible.

"As soon as she feels well enough, I'll discharge her." The doctor patted Nathan on the arm and turned off in the opposite direction, leaving Nathan standing in the middle of the hallway by himself.

Nathan took a deep breath, momentarily postponing the inevitable. Haley had wanted this baby so bad, was he strong enough to tell her that her dream wasn't going to come true? He had to be, he didn't want some stranger telling her what had happened. She needed to hear it from him.

He took one last deep breath and opened the door to her room, pausing at the door at the sight of Haley in the hospital bed, slightly taken aback. She looked weak and tired, and almost defeated. He wondered if she already knew the truth, if she somehow felt what had happened.

Haley was looking out the window but as he walked over to her bed and sat down next to her, she turned to look at him. Her hair was still damp considering they had rushed her here right after her bath and it had already started drying into curls. He loved when it did that because most of the time she dried it straight and he barely ever got to see it curly. He reached out and brushed a few of the curls out of her face, his hand gently lingering in her hair. He forced a smile and finally brought his eyes to hers, reaching forward to gently kiss her forehead.

"Hey beautiful," he whispered against her soft skin.

"Hey yourself," she returned, biting her lip as she looked into his eyes. She looked at him, really looked at him and could already see the pain in his eyes. "Oh god, Nathan," she whispered as her hand instinctively came to cover her mouth.

"Haley," he choked out as his hand reached for her face, gently wiping away tears that she hadn't even noticed had fallen. His palm cupped her cheek, doing his best to transfer over any strength to her that he had left.

"I lost the baby, didn't I?" She shook her head and brought her hand up to cover his, not able to fully comprehend the situation. "Oh god, I don't want to believe it."

"I know, baby, I know." He leaned forward to kiss her cheek, doing his best to kiss away the tears. He hated having to see Haley like this, so upset and distraught. It wasn't until she brought her hand up to his own cheek, that he realized he had been crying as well. He had been so focused on Haley that he wasn't even able to notice how upset he was himself.

"How, Nathan, was something wrong? Oh, Nathan, it's all my fault." The tears came harder and he put his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Hales, don't say that. The doctor said it would have happened no matter what. He said it was nature's way of terminating the pregnancy because something was wrong with the baby, he said that there was nothing we could have done."

"But I felt it, Nathan, and I didn't say anything. It's my fault."

Nathan could barely understand her over the sobs. "Hales, what are you talking about? You felt what, sweetie?" He didn't get what she was trying to say.

She pulled back from him, her hands on his shoulders so that she could look into his eyes. "At the airport, when we got home from Florida, I had a pain in my stomach. But it didn't last long and I felt back to normal, so I thought that maybe it was just because of the airplane. I didn't want to tell you because I knew that you would be worried and want me to go to the hospital. I figured that it was probably just something that happened to most women, and I didn't want to be silly and go to the emergency room. I swear, I was going to tell you if it happened again."

Nathan could barely grasp at the information she was talking so fast. He shook his head and took Haley's face in both of his hands. "Listen to me, there was nothing you could have done. It wasn't your fault, Haley. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. I only wish you would have told me because then maybe you wouldn't be blaming yourself right now. Please stop blaming yourself, Hales. Don't do that to yourself, please, at least for me. I hate seeing you cry, Haley, it kills me."

"Nathan, I don't know what else to do. I really wanted this baby, I really did." She returned her head to his shoulder and let him cradle her in his arms.

"I know, Hales, I did too." He turned his head to the side and kissed her forehead, not knowing what to say to make her feel better. He didn't think he could say anything to make her feel better.

"I want to leave, Nathan, I can't stay here any longer."

Nathan could feel her trembling in his arms and he nodded his head. "I'll go get the doctor, he has to discharge you before we leave. Are you going to be okay?" he asked as he settled her back down against the bed.

She nodded. "Just be quick."

"I will," he replied, giving her hand a tiny squeeze for strength. Nathan turned back when he reached the door, pausing slightly as he watched Haley's hands return to her face. Her gaze lingered out the window and Nathan could feel his heart breaking for her. For both of them. It had taken him awhile to warm up to the thought of a baby, but he had decided that he truly was excited for it and couldn't wait to bring his own child into the world. It hurt him to know that they wouldn't be able to have that for awhile.

But there was one thing he knew. He had to be strong for Haley, because she would need him to help her get through this.

It just scared him because he didn't know who was going to be strong for him…

* * *

Heaven knows you're with me now  
Heaven knows that you're here  
I feel your breath all around me now  
And all the pain just disappears  
It goes away, it goes away 

And it only hurts, when you cry  
I'm alone inside, when there's tears in your eyes  
I can't hide and say I'm fine  
But it only hurts, when you cry

You carry too much on your shoulders  
I can't wait till you let me down  
Cause the only thing we're getting is older  
This time never comes back around  
You just gave it, gave it away

And it only hurts, when you cry  
I'm alone inside, when there's tears in your eyes  
I can't hide and say I'm fine  
But it only hurts, when you cry  
When you cry

Heaven knows you're with me now  
And I'll do my best to hold on  
Cause nothing is worth all this fighting now  
And I won't give up till it's gone  
Make it go away, go away  
Make it go away, go away

Cause it only hurts, when you cry  
I'm alone inside, when there's tears in your eyes  
I can't hide and say I'm fine  
But it only hurts, when you cry

- "When You Cry" by Vertical Horizon

* * *

**Hey Guys- thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! Don't be mad at me for the miscarriage- I know a lot of you were excited about the baby. But like I've said before, I always have a plan for my stories and this was in there from the beginning. Oh god, do I sound like MS? Somebody might need to slap some sense into me already! But anyway, I just couldn't picture Haley being pregnant in high school, I just think that would be so much to deal with. Well I hope you don't hate me too much that it leads to me not getting any reviews! That would be like a very bad dream ;)**

**Kylie**


	14. Answer

**Author's Note - I just wanted to thank everyone ahead of time for the great reviews last UD. I know it's been a little longer than usual, but good old life and classes got in the way! Just wanted to thank all of you, and my girls over at FF for being so supportive! This Chapter is a little emotional, but easily my favorite one. I hope you enjoy and have lots to say!**

**Chapter 14 – Answer**

Nathan felt absolutely helpless. No, he didn't just feel it – he was. In the past five hours since they arrived home from the hospital, Haley had just stayed in bed without saying a word to him at all. He didn't blame her thought because he didn't really know what to say either. The doctor had told him that the next 72 hours would be difficult and Nathan didn't doubt his words for a minute.

As he stood now in the doorway of their bedroom looking at the temporarily peaceful, sleeping form of her body he couldn't help but wonder if the next few days could get any worse than this. He hated seeing Haley suffering and it hurt because he was suffering just as much.

Nathan glanced at a shopping bag at the foot of their bed. He had completely forgotten about making the quick stop on the way home from work yesterday. Kneeling down in front of the bag, he removed its contents – a child's sized basketball. It had been such a good day at work and as Nathan had been practicing with the kids he couldn't help but get excited over the fact that one day he would be able to share it with his own child. So he had stopped to pick up the basketball, not able to suppress his excitement any longer.

The sheets rustled and Nathan glanced up at the bed, only to be met with Haley's big brown eyes. "Hey you," he said, trying his best to place a smile on his face.

"Hey," she replied. "What do you have there?" she asked, motioning to what he was holding in his hands.

Nathan shoved the basketball back into the bag, not knowing exactly how Haley would react to seeing it. "Oh, nothing. Just something I picked up after work."

"Nathan, please don't baby me. That's the last thing I need right now." She immediately regretted the words when she saw the hurt look on his face. She hadn't meant for it to sound that way, had she? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." She felt like crying all over again, but she didn't think it was possible to have anything left. She had cried more in the past few hours than she had in her whole entire life.

Nathan sat down next to her on the bed, pulling her into his arms. "You don't have to be sorry, Hales. You're right, I shouldn't be sheltering you. Trust me, it wasn't my intention at all."

Haley cradled into his neck tighter as his hand found its way to the back of her neck, bringing her even closer towards him. "I know it wasn't, I do. I just hate this, hate feeling like this."

"I know, baby," Nathan kissed the top of her head and could feel the faint warmth of her lips on his neck. "Let me show you what's in the bag."

"It's okay, you don't have to." Haley leaned back, brushing her hand gently over his cheek.

"No, I want to." Nathan scooted further back on the bed and pulled Haley into his lap, where she immediately snuggled into his chest. Her arms reached around his chest, her hands clinging to the fabric of his shirt. As he reached for the floor where he had discarded the bag, he could feel Haley's lips brush gently across his cheek. He couldn't help but turn towards her and kiss her forehead ever so softly. Pulling the basketball out of the bag, he carefully brought it into Haley's lap and set it down on her legs. He heard the breath catch in her throat when she realized what it was.

"Oh Nathan…" she choked out, her fingers reaching forward to lightly touch the leathery surface of the ball.

"I know, Hales, that's why I didn't want to show you at first."

"No, Nathan, it's just so sweet that you did this. It's just a little hard to take right now, that's all. It's so unfair, I can't understand what we did to deserve this." She shook her head, her hand coming up to rest on her lips.

Nathan reached his hand up the back of her neck, gently massaging it. "I know, baby, I know." He moved the basketball to the side, pulling her towards his chest and cradling her in his arms. "But we didn't do anything to deserve this, it just happened and there was nothing we could have done to stop it. The doctor told us that and we have to believe that."

"I know, Nathan, it's just that I really wanted this baby. I know that we're in high school and it would have been crazy and a lot to deal with, but I wanted this for us."

Nathan took Haley's face in his hands, forcing her to bring her eyes to his own. "And we will have that one day, Haley. One day we're going to be able to give this basketball to our little boy or girl and that child is going to be the luckiest in the world to have you as a mom. And maybe to have me as a dad, I haven't decided yet."

Haley shook her head. "I have, I mean just the fact that you bought this proves how good of a dad you're going to be. I just wish you could be realizing that sooner rather than later." Haley rested her head against Nathan's shoulder, craving the warmth that somehow only his body provided her.

"We'll have it soon enough, Hales, and I can't wait for that day." He kissed her forehead before continuing, "Now how are you feeling? I mean physically, of course. I mean is there anything I can do?"

"I feel okay, I guess. Just really tired, I feel like I could sleep for years." Haley reached for his shirt, playing with the material between her fingers. "You called my parents, right?"

"Yeah, they couldn't find a soon enough flight so they are just going to drive. They should probably be here by tomorrow night. They both said to tell you how much they love you and to be strong for them."

Haley couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think I know the meaning of that word right now."

Nathan reached down to where her hand was still playing with his shirt, causing her to play with his fingers instead. "Don't say that. You know I'm here for you, right? I would do anything for you, whatever you need."

"That's just it. I don't know what it is that I need right now."

"Does that include me?" Nathan asked hesitantly.

Haley hadn't meant for it to sound that way and she quickly threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek and then his neck. "You already know the answer to that." She couldn't help the tears from escaping, running down her cheeks and dampening his shoulder. "You're the one thing I need the most, the only thing getting me through this. I couldn't do it without you."

Nathan pulled back from her and wiped away her tears. "You never have to worry about that, never. Do you hear me?" She nodded as Nathan wiped a few more tears that had escaped. "God, don't cry, Hales. I can't stand it."

"I'm just so tired," Haley whispered, resting her forehead against his.

Nathan nodded and carefully picked her up so that he could place her under the covers. He pulled them up to her chin and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to make a quick phone call and then I'll be right back to hold you in my arms, okay?"

He waited for Haley to nod her response before heading to the kitchen, knowing there was only one person who could get through to Haley right now.

* * *

Nathan was just finally starting to relax, Haley curled up protectively in his arms, when he heard the doorbell ring. He climbed slowly off the bed and as Haley reached out to him he whispered, "I'll be right back." 

He walked quickly to the door and was so relieved to see the woman standing behind it.

"Oh Nathan," was all she could get out.

"Karen," Nathan replied, as she pulled him into her arms. "Thank you so much for coming." Nathan knew that Haley had needed to talk to someone else besides him, and with her parents being so far away he knew that person was Karen. She had always been so close with Haley and had always been like a second mother to her, and in the past few months she had become just like that to him as well.

"Of course, Nathan. How's she handling it, how are you handling it?"

"She's not doing so well. I mean, not that I expected her to just get over it, but she's really tired and has been in bed since we got home. And me, well I'm just trying to be there for her." He brought his hand up to gently rub his temple, suddenly aware of the headache that had been hiding there.

"Well, it's understandable that she's so tired, she's been through so much today physically and mentally. And you, you have to be feeling some things also. Have you eaten anything in awhile, either or you?"

Nathan shook his head, not even able to remember the last time they ate.

Karen reached out and gently rubbed his shoulder. "How about you go make something light to eat, maybe soup if you have any? And I'll go talk to Haley for awhile, how does that sound?"

"That sounds good, thanks Karen, I really didn't know who else to call."

"Well, I'm glad that you called me. It means a lot to me."

Nathan nodded. "Me too." Nathan led Karen back towards their bedroom, gently waking Haley by softly stroking her cheek.

Haley instantly gravitated to Karen's arms and Nathan silently left the room, knowing that she was in good hands.

"How ya doing, kiddo?" Karen asked as she pulled back from Haley, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Not so good, I just don't know how to deal with all of this."

"Well, I don't really think there is a wrong or a right way, Haley. It's just one of those situations where you have to act how you feel; cry if you feel sad, scream at the top or your lungs if your angry, and laugh if there's anything at all that makes you happy within the next few days. It's the only way you'll get through this, by being true to yourself and those around you. And you have such a wonderful support group, I heard your parents are going to be coming tomorrow. And you have me and all of your friends, we're always here for you. Then of course you have that amazing husband out there, who would do just about anything to see one smile on your face right now."

"I know, he's been so good. I mean, he knew to call you and that's so wonderful because I really needed a motherly figure right now. Thank you so much, Karen. I hope Andy didn't mind you coming over here in the middle of the night."

Karen shook her head. "Not at all, he knew it was for a very good reason. You know I'm always here for you, no matter what time of day or night. And you have to promise me something."

"What?" Haley asked.

"That you'll help me be there for Nathan. Men don't show their feelings as much as we women do, but that doesn't mean they aren't feeling them in the first place."

* * *

Nathan sat at the kitchen table, the phone in his hand, dreading the call he was about to make. He dialed the numbers quickly and pressed send before his mind could convince him otherwise. It rang three times before she picked up, the fact that she had been asleep evident in her voice. 

"Hello?" she asked.

Nathan took a deep breath. "Hey Mom, it's me."

"Nathan? What's the matter?" the concern was obvious in her voice. Deb was suddenly on alert, afraid of what news Nathan was calling so late to tell her.

"She lost it, Mom." Was all he could say.

"Lost what, Nate?" her mind wasn't fully able to comprehend what he was trying to say.

"The baby, Mom. Haley lost the baby." He felt the tears beginning to roll down his cheeks, the warmth surprising him, but he did nothing to stop the already steady flow of them.

There was a pause on the other end as she allowed the news to sink in. "Oh God, Nathan, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. Let me get dressed and come over there."

Nathan shook his head even though he knew she couldn't see him. "No, Mom, it's okay. I just wanted to call, to tell you."

"Are you sure, Nate? It wouldn't take me very long." She had already gotten out of bed, trying to find her shoes somewhere in her room.

"No, Mom, it's fine. I just needed to tell you. Maybe you can stop by tomorrow. I'll call you in the morning, okay?"

Deb sat down on the edge of the bed. "Okay, Nathan." She knew that if he wanted her there he would ask her to come and she didn't want to push the issue. "Call me if you need anything at all. I love you and give Haley my best."

"I will and I love you too. Bye." Nathan disconnected and placed the phone down in front of him.

As hard as he tried, the tears continued to flow down his cheeks and every so often a sob would escape from his chest. He couldn't even remember the last time he had cried, but he had never lost something this important. Never truly experienced pain such as this.

The only thing left for him to do was bury his face in his hands and cry for the baby that he never even had the chance to hold.

* * *

I will be the answer at the end of the line  
I will be there for you while you take the time  
In the burning of uncertainty, I will be your solid ground  
I will hold the balance if you can't look down 

If it takes my whole life  
I won't break, I won't bend  
It'll all be worth it  
Worth it in the end  
'Cause I can only tell you what I know  
That I need you in my life  
When the stars have all gone out  
You'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently into morning  
For the night has been unkind  
Take me to a place so holy  
That I can wash this from my mind  
The memory of choosing not to fight

If it takes my whole life  
I won't break, I won't bend  
It'll all be worth it  
Worth it in the end  
'Cause I can only tell you what I know  
That I need you in my life  
When the stars have all burned out  
You'll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently into morning  
For the night has been unkind

- "Answer" by Sarah McLachlan

* * *

**Thanks again for reading, I know it was pretty emotional but that's how I wanted it to come across. Can't wait to see what you all have to say!**


	15. Heal Over

**Author's Note: I guess I should begin with a million and one sincere apologies. I have been so out of the loop lately and really lost my motivation for awhile. I finally got this chapter finished, and I don't know how pleased I am with it, but I feel so bad about not posting in such a long time. I did a fic exchange and the full story is posted on my fic site - the link is in my profile if anyone wants to read it!**

**Huge Huge Huge thanks go out to Kaleigh - you know that you helped me so much with this chapter and thank you for being such a loyal reader. I know I'm a few days after my deadline, but I was only holiday this weekend and a few things got in the way of me posting before I left. **

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter - I was really worried to take on such a touchy subject matter and I'm so glad that many of you told me I did it well. It's hard to sort of bottle up those emotions and express them through words so I'm glad you all felt I did a good job portraying them. Hopefully that stays true in this chapter.**

**This story doesn't have too many chapters left. I want to start focusing on my other story "Touched By An Angel" and I've felt the end of this coming for awhile. So thanks again to everyone who has stuck by me through my horrible waiting periods and one day I swear I will get better at updating. I also didn't proof so I apologize for any mistakes.**

**Okay enough babbling...

* * *

**

**Chapter Fifteen – Heal Over**

It was over an hour later before Karen left and as Nathan shut the door behind her he realized just how physically drained he was. He didn't know if he had the strength to take three steps yet alone walk all the way to the bedroom. It seemed like it was light years away.

Karen told him that Haley had just fallen asleep so he dragged himself to the kitchen and loaded the few dishes by the sink, not wanting her to see a mess in the morning. Haley's bowl of soup was pretty much full and Nathan shook his head at the fact that he all but had to force feed her the few spoonfuls that she did eat.

Nathan looked at the clock – it was 3 a.m. Even though he was tired, he felt as though he would never be able to fall asleep with all the thoughts running through his head. After everything they had been through this past year, he couldn't understand how tragedy had found them yet again. They had finally moved on from all the negative things that had happened, they had finally been able to forgive and forget. But Nathan didn't know if he could forgive the loss of such an innocent life, and he would definitely never forget.

Deciding that he should probably at least try to get some sleep for Haley, he walked to the master bedroom bathroom. He removed all of his clothes except for his boxers, splashed some cold water on his face and quickly brushed his teeth. Placing his hands on either side of the sink, he took a moment to take a deep breath before heading into their bedroom. All he hoped for was that Haley was still asleep. She at least seemed peaceful in her sleep and he didn't know if he could deal with the painful look in her eyes anymore tonight.

He did his best to climb into the bed without causing too much movement. Scooting closer towards Haley, he lifted the blankets around them before placing his hands behind his head and leaning into the pillows. Haley instinctively rolled over on the mattress and curled into his chest, draping one of her legs over his own and snuggling into the hollow of his neck. Her breath was steady against his skin and Nathan removed his hands so he could place one on her back and the other resting against her thigh. He turned his head slightly so that he could kiss her forehead and he smiled at the feel of her lips subconsciously reciprocating on his neck. It never failed to amaze him how even their subconscious's had such a need for each other, how they never made it through a night in the same bed without holding on to each other.

When Haley had been on tour he had slept with a pillow in his arms, but it never held the same warmth that her body did and often he never slept through the whole night. He would awake yearning for the feel of her soft skin against his and the warmness of her breath as it fell upon him. No one else in the entire universe could make him feel the way she did; so complete and whole and satisfied. She was his life and he would do anything for her, he would walk to the ends of the earth if she asked him to.

It was this thought that he clung to, that gave him strength to finally close his eyes and succumb to sleep. Because he knew that if he would do anything for her, than somehow they would find a way to get through this latest hurdle. Their love had survived so much and this was only another test, another way to prove to them that they were it for each other. There would be another pregnancy, he had no doubt about that, but for now they just had to hold onto each other as they always seemed to. They had to remember that as long as they had each other, they had everything they needed.

They had to remember that their love was enough.

Nathan didn't know what time it was when he woke up the next morning, the clock on the wall had stopped ticking at 7:00 pm the night before. It was almost chilling the effect it had on him that the clock had frozen shortly before their life had been turned upside down. It was almost as if the clock felt the same way as Nathan did; like it couldn't go on until things were made right and all had resumed in the house.

Nathan glanced to the empty spot on the bed next to him. He had noticed Haley's absence right away, she had left the bed not even an hour ago, but he hadn't been able to force himself fully awake. His body was so physically and emotionally tired that he hadn't been able to open his eyes and face the day.

At first, when she had left his arms, he had taken it as a good sign that she was up and about early. But now he heard something that told him completely otherwise. The sounds of her stifled cries were drifting into bed with him and causing his arms to ache in want of enveloping her in hopes that he could still them. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to get up and walked towards the sound of her tears.

Nathan found her sitting at the bay window in the back room, cradling what appeared to be a blanket in her arms. She didn't look up when he walked closer and he figured that she couldn't hear him over the thoughts in her head. It wasn't until his hand connected with her shoulder, when he slowly knelt down in front of her, that she noticed his presence. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and Nathan reached out to gently wipe them away. Haley immediately leaned into his touch and momentarily allowed her breathing to calm. He always had a calming affect on her and he had never been so appreciative of that fact until now. Standing up, he kissed her on the forehead and sat across from her. He brought one leg underneath him and reached for one of her hands, softly rubbing over the back of it with his thumb.

Haley brought her eyes to his, knowing that he wanted to know what she had found, but unsure of whether or not she could get the whole story out. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to try. "I was doing really well this morning, I really was. I woke up and made myself some tea and did my best to just keep everything in the back of my mind. I know that's not the best way to deal with it, but it was working temporarily and I was okay with that. I just wanted to let it be for today. So I decided to come in here and finish unpacking some things and everything was going fine until I unpacked this." The tears returned as Haley held up the blanket in her hands and Nathan didn't completely understand how it had her so upset.

Nathan scooted closer towards her, gently rubbing up and down her arm to do his best to console her. "What is it, Hales?"

Haley pulled out a small sheet of paper from underneath the blanket and handed it to Nathan, willing him to remember. Nathan took the sheet of stationary from her hands and unfolded it, immediately understanding the cause of her tears.

"_Nathan and Haley,_

_We never got the chance to use this blanket, it sat untouched by human hands in our closet for years. It wasn't until you two got together that I finally realized what this blanket had been patiently waiting for all along. I hope that you will be able to put it to good use after all these years. I don't necessarily mean now, it just might be a little two early for that, but one day it'll be right. And on that day I'll be so glad to see it tightly wrapped around the result of fate. _

_Sincerely,_

_Whitey"_

"Oh, Hales," Nathan pulled Haley in between his legs, her back resting against the rise and fall of his chest. "Whitey's right, baby, and one day we will be able to put this blanket to good use and I can't wait for that day. It just wasn't the right time now, and even though we may not understand it, it was meant to happen."

"You really believe that?" Haley asked as she nuzzled even more into his chest, taking his hands and bringing his arms to rest around her stomach so that hers lay perfectly on top of his.

Nathan settled his chin on her shoulder, leaning down so that he could brush a gentle kiss against her neck. "I really do, Hales. At least we still have each other, right?"

Haley nodded. "I don't know what I would do without you through all this, Nathan."

"Hey, hey, you don't even have to think about that because you have me, okay?" He kissed the side of her head, inadvertently causing a shiver to run down her spine.

She nodded again, but this time it was a little more tentatively.

"Hey, chin up," Nathan said, placing his finger beneath her chin to reinforce himself. When her eyes met his and he was sure that he had her full attention, he continued. "I'm here for you no matter what you need and you have to tell me what you're feeling, even if you think that I'm not going to like it. I just want to make you happy, that's all I've ever wanted, and I hate that we have to go through this. But we have to hold on to each other."

"You have to do the same, Mister. You have to come to me as well and not hold anything back. Because I'm here for you too and I only want to make you happy."

Nathan smiled. "You do make me happy, Hales, the happiest I've ever been. And I swear not to hold anything back. Listen to us; we're such adults, compromising and all."

Haley laughed and it was music to Nathan's ears. His hand came to rest along her jaw and his thumb rubbed gently over the cleft in her chin before sweeping over her bottom lip. "That felt good," Haley said simply.

"The laugh or my hand on your face?" Nathan asked.

"Well, both actually, but I meant the laugh."

"Well normally I would be offended, but it sounded pretty good to me too so I'm going to have to agree with you." Nathan leaned forward and slowly kissed each of her cheeks before bringing his lips to rest against hers. The kiss was simple and held in it everything that they needed from each other. It was full of love and reconnection of two people that had once again momentarily lost each other, but then again never wandered too far apart.

Haley pulled back gently from the kiss, leaning her head back against Nathan's shoulder. She felt her stomach grumble and Nathan laughed at the feeling against his arms. "I guess I'm kind of hungry."

"I wonder why?" Nathan joked as he placed a kiss against her ear.

"Want to make me something?" Haley asked sweetly.

Nathan laughed. "How about I start a shower for you and while you're in there I'll make something for both of us?"

Haley nodded. "That sounds good."

Haley leaned forward so that Nathan could get up and smiled as he kissed her forehead. Right as he was walking away, Haley grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her. She kissed him sweetly on the lips before releasing his hand.

"I'll be right back," he promised against her lips.

She nodded and kissed his cheek, watching his retreating back as he left the room.

He was back not a minute later, true to his promise, and Haley took the hand that he withdrew to her. She followed him into their bathroom, holding his hand in both of hers, and smiled as he stuck his other hand under the water to test it for her. Always the gentleman.

"Perfect," he told her with a reassuring smile and she couldn't help but feel that he wasn't only talking about the temperature of the water. He set a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving her alone to take her shower, knowing that if he stayed there it was quite possible they would never get around to eating.

He shuffled around the kitchen, finding the right ingredients to make some homemade pancakes. It was Haley's moms recipe, one of her many wonderful meals that she had passed onto them. He made some more tea for Haley and coffee for him while the pancakes were cooking and set everything out on the table.

All the pancakes were made not fifteen minutes later and he placed them inside of the oven that he had preheated. He headed back to their bathroom, pausing to lean on the doorframe. "Hales, the pancakes are ready, are you almost finished?"

"Yeah, babe, you want to grab me a towel?"

"Of course." Nathan scrounged under the cabinet for Haley's favorite towel. She always claimed it was extra soft when Nathan swore that it was really no different than the rest of them. But he knew that she would appreciate the sentiment right now. He waited for her to shut off the water and when she did he unfolded the towel and stood right outside of the shower door so that she could walk right into it.

Haley loved when Nathan did such simple things as wrapping her in a towel and gently drying off her body. It really made her wonder what she had done to deserve such an amazing partner in life, but she knew that really it was what they had done for each other. They had changed each other for the better, learned that sometimes love meant making sacrifices, and most of all they had matured and grown together. They were so different from who they were when they first married. Now they understood that no matter what bumps they hit in the road, they were willing to fight for each other and would do whatever it took to stick by the other. There wasn't anything Haley wasn't willing to do in order to keep Nathan right by her side. And it was so amazing to know that he felt the same way about her.

She sent him a warming smile as he turned her around and brought the towel up to her hair, carefully scrunching out as much water as he could so that it ceased to drip. After, he brought the towel back underneath her arms, folding her inside of it and carefully tucking in the corner so that it would fall down. "Perfect," he said again.

Haley stood up on her tip toes so that she could place a kiss on his lips. "Thank you," she said as she sank back to the floor, reaching her arms around Nathan's waist and placing her head against his chest. Nathan's arms immediately went around her, and he leaned down so that he could kiss her bare shoulder.

Haley shuddered at the touch, a chill starting at her toes and spreading throughout her body. It was amazing how such a simple kiss could have Haley feeling, as if she was on the top of her world. She used to believe that she felt that way because Nathan kept her on a pedestal, and it used to scare her. She had never been held at such a high regard and she had always been afraid to make one wrong move because it meant falling from such a high height. So she had foolishly tested her theory and as much as she didn't regret going on tour, it had almost cost her their marriage. But luckily Nathan was waiting for her when she fell and together they built back the pedestal. In the beginning she had been afraid of it, but now it only served to comfort her. She had learned to love the way that Nathan thought of her on a higher regard, the way that she seemed to be an oddity to him. But in the process of her learning to accept the pedestal, Nathan had learned that Haley was human too and no matter to what regard he held her, he had to understand that everyone made mistakes.

So Haley stood high on her pedestal and Nathan stood below, arms outstretched in case she ever needed him to catch her again.

Haley tightened her arms around his waist, silently willing his lips to continue their path. They did so obediently and Haley melted into the feel of them traveling up her neck, placing lingering open mouth kisses as they went. Her hands fell away from each other and she grabbed at the fabric of his t-shirt with her fists. Nathan hands rose to each side of her chin, his fingers resting gently against her neck. He used his thumbs to softly trace her bottom lip, wanting her to open her eyes and to look at him. Haley instinctively knew what he was asking for and her lids fluttered open at the touch. She licked her lips in anticipation, wanting to feel Nathan's lips against her own. Finally he pulled her chin up and leaned down to meet her in the middle, their lips closing the distance between them. They moved slowly at first, taking time to move together and not immediately craving anything deeper.

Nathan held back, waiting for Haley to make the next move so that he knew he wasn't going too fast for her. Finally she opened her lips to him and he gently licked her bottom lip before slipping his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, seeking out the touch of her tongue against his. They playfully dueled together, enjoying the simple sensation of being in the confined space. Nathan brought his hands down to her lower back, pulling her flush against him and causing her to moan into his mouth. Nathan could feel himself harden as the sound reverberated throughout his body and it took every ounce of control in his body to not sweep Haley up into his arms and carry her into the bedroom. He just wasn't sure if it was too soon for her, for them, to get right back into the swing of things. They were still mourning the loss of the baby and he didn't want her to feel like he was trying to make her forget everything. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

Nathan did his best to break his lips gently away from hers, leaning his forehead against hers and taking a soothing deep breath. "The pancakes are ready, we should probably eat them while they still taste good."

Haley nodded against his head. "Just give me a few minutes to change and I'll be right there, okay?"

"Sure thing." He left a lingering kiss on her lips before leaving their bedroom and giving her some privacy.

Haley had felt the resistance in his advances and she knew that Nathan was only taking things slow in order to give her time, but a part of her needed him to take things fast. A part of her needed him to push her, to help her make the pain go away. To take control and to let everything else just fade away.

Her only fear was that he needed the same thing from her, and deep down she knew that she wouldn't be able to give it to him.

Haley loved the feeling of being wrapped in Nathan's arms. It was almost as if he was her fortress, and anything that wanted to hurt her wouldn't be able to fight its way through his impenetrable barrier. And as they lay on their family room couch, her back leaning into the sturdy frame of his chest, she felt exactly that way. She felt protected, the simple extent of the word meaning so much to them. He had promised her from the beginning that he would protect her and he had, and she knew that he always would do his best to keep it that way forever. He knew that she didn't like feeling vulnerable, but he never made it seem like he did it for that reason. It was out of his love for her alone and his simple need to have her by his side for the rest of their lives. And there she would stay.

She felt his deep breath behind her and as his arms wrapped around her stomach, Haley couldn't help but think that he had been thinking the same thing as her in that moment. Her hands fell over his arms, gently rubbing at his skin and urging his arms as tight as possible around her. To lock her in, to keep her held tightly in his embrace. To make her feel as safe and protected as possible. To transfer some of his own strength to her, no matter how little he was able to give. His lips settled against the point where her neck met her shoulders and she smiled at the touch. It was amazing how much Nathan could convey to her with one simple kiss, one simple feeling.

His lips moved up her neck, finding her earlobe and gently pulling it between his lips. Her head leaned towards him immediately, pushing him onward. _Push me further_, her mind begged. _Push me all the way, baby._

He eased up on her ear, pulling it gently before releasing it from his lips and dropping them to her neck once again for a lingering kiss. She could tell he meant to stop there, but she couldn't let him. She wanted him, no_ needed_ him. Turning herself around in his arms, she pushed his legs together so that she could easily straddle his hips. His hands fell to her hips, holding her in place as she tried to move against him.

"Hales, baby, are you sure?" He needed an answer, a nod, and passionate look, anything to tell him that she was okay with it.

"Please, Nathan," she begged with a nod of her head, giving him all that he needed to know. "Push me…" she whispered.

Nathan leaned forward quickly, not wasting time and fusing their lips together. Their movements were quick, breathless, and fervent.

Her hips bucked against his and he no longer held them still. His hands lost themselves in the mess of her hair and held her lips to his. His tongue licked access against her bottom lip and delved inside once it was granted.

Haley's hands found the hem of his shirt, doing her best to pull the fabric above his head. Nathan broke his lips from hers momentarily so that he could help her with the task, tossing it onto the floor next to them. He moaned as Haley reached between them and roughly stroked his length through his sweat pants. There was no doubt about it, she was killing him. He took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth, kissing her palm.

"It'll be over way too soon if you keep doing that, baby," he laughed.

Haley laughed with him and sent him an innocent smile, pulling her bottom lip in between his teeth. It was amazing how such a simple look turned him on even more. Her arms wrapped around his neck, causing their chests to come flush together, and Nathan hands drifted to the bare skin of her lower back. Drawing lazy circles on the skin with his fingers, he playfully pulled at the waistband of her sweat pants.

His thumbs tucked into the sides, ready to push the material away from her delicate frame. He was so close to doing it and then…

Three knocks came from the front door.

Haley released a sigh and rested her forehead against Nathan's shoulder. "You've got to be kidding me," she said. They were finally pushing past the barrier, finally going to find the comfort that they both needed.

Nathan reached onto the floor and picked up his shirt, quickly putting it on. Taking a few deep breaths to normalize his breathing and gain some composure, he scooted out from underneath Haley. "I'll get it," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

He took another deep breath, willing a certain part of his anatomy to calm down because it definitely wouldn't be getting what it wanted anymore. There was no doubt in his mind that whoever was at the door would be here for quite some time. They had really only seen Karen and it was a wonder that none of their friends had stopped by yet. Probably figured they needed time alone and Nathan couldn't agree more.

Opening the front door, he found himself face to face with Jimmy and Lydia James themselves. He had never been so happy to see them in his whole entire life. Haley needed them right now more than ever before and he knew that if anyone could help her it would be them.

Lydia immediately enveloped him in her arms. "I'm so sorry, Nate. We got here as soon as we could."

Nathan pulled away and nodded his head. "No, we understand and I'm so glad that you could make it at all. Haley's going to be so glad to see you." He turned to Jimmy and gave him a firm handshake. "It's so good to see both of you."

"You two, Nate," Mr. James responded, clapping him strongly on the shoulder.

"Where is she?" Lydia asked, needing more than anything to see what shape her baby daughter was in.

"She's in the family room, we were just resting on the couch." Nathan led the way, quickly realizing that Haley's parents hadn't been in their new house yet.

Haley stood up as soon as they walked into the room, falling immediately into the embrace of her mother. "Oh, I'm so glad that you guys came." The tears sprang to her eyes and she did her best to wipe them away with the back of her hand.

Lydia smiled as she tried to help her, gently brushing them away with the pads of her thumbs. "Haley Bop, there's nowhere else we'd rather be. How about we start with a tour of the house, it looks really great. You guys have done a great job so far."

Haley nodded and released Lydia as Jimmy pulled her into his own hug. "Yeah, we really love it, don't we, Nathan?"

She looked to him and all Nathan could do was smile at the beauty that was his wife and nod. "Yeah, baby, we really do."

"Well then, Nate, why don't you lead the way?" Jimmy asked.

"I can definitely do that," Nathan stated. He kissed Haley on the top of the head as she came to stand next to him, their arms wrapping around one another's waists.

They stayed that way through the whole tour of the house, leaning on each other for support. The tour ended in the kitchen and they all gathered around the island as Nathan put on some water for tea. Nathan came to stand behind Haley who was seated at one of the stools and she immediately leaned into his chest.

Conversation was pleasant while everyone drank their tea and it was so overly obvious that Jimmy and Lydia were trying to avoid the big fat elephant in the room. Nathan almost wished that they would just say something, get it off of their chests so that they could move on. Or at least try to. Was it bad that he just felt like shouting it? _Our baby died! Someone acknowledge it before it kills us all! _He knew there was still anger in his heart over everything that had happened, but that wasn't enough to excuse the fact. He needed to stay together for Haley.

"Haley Bop, how about we go have ourselves a little mother-daughter time?" Lydia asked, clearly with ulterior motives.

Haley nodded. "That sounds nice." She stood and kissed Nathan on the cheek before following her mom out of the room.

"Well, Nathan, you sure put up a good act." Jimmy said as soon as he was sure they were out of earshot.

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked, even though he knew exactly what his father in law was saying.

Jimmy took a deep breath. "Well, it's easy to tell with Haley. She's broken inside because this killed a part of her. The thing is that everyone tends to think it's only difficult for the woman, but I know from first hand experience that it's just as hard for us as it is for them. Both because you've lost something that you already loved and also because you can see it tearing away at your better half."

Nathan let his words sink in and as they did, he realized exactly what he had said. "So, you and Lydia had a miscarriage as well?"

"Unfortunately, Nate, it's something that way too many couples experience. And I wish I could promise that it would never happen again, but there's no way I can do that. Luckily the Mrs. and I only had to go through it once, and I pray to God that it's the same for you two. I know how much you both wanted this baby, no matter how unexpected it was, and I know that you two would have been the best parents. And you will get that chance again, maybe when the timing is a little better."

"Thanks, Mr. James. That means a lot to me, to hear you say that. When Haley told me she was pregnant, I had so many doubts. But in the end I knew that I was excited more than anything else to bring something into the world that was part Haley and part me."

"What kind of doubts? About the type of father you would be?"

Nathan nodded his head.

"Nathan, you are going to be such a great father. I know you may have your doubts because of the way your father treated you, but in the time that I have known you, you have proved to be such a different person than him. And I think my little girl helped you a lot in that area, which really just shows how much you two love each other. You both have been through so much together and it has only made your relationship that much stronger. That's how you know it's real, Nathan. When you get to the lowest point and instead of giving up, you both realize that it means things can only get better. That child would have been so lucky to grow up in this house with the two of you, I have no doubt about that."

Nathan didn't know what to say. "Thank you, Jimmy."

"So, how are you really holding up?"

"Not too well," Nathan shook his head. "I want to be strong for her, I do, but sometimes I have doubts. I broke down last night after I talked to my mom on the phone. I guess the reality of it all just hit me. Up until that point I had only been concerned with Haley and making sure that she was okay, at least physically. And then Karen came and took some alone time with Haley, leaving me alone with my thoughts. It just became too much."

"Does Haley know, about the breakdown?" Jimmy asked.

"No, I didn't say anything to her about it. I've just been so focused on getting her better, you know?"

"That's understandable, but you have to focus on getting better as well. You're just as hurt as she is, Nate. And it helps to get better together, because in the end you will both be stronger for it. It's the best part of marriage, having someone beside you that will do anything just to see that smile on your face. Having someone who genuinely cares about your well being. It'll get better, Nate. The only thing left to do is heal."

Nathan nodded with understanding, but not completely able to convince himself.

The only thing left was to heal.

It sounded too easy. As if they could just wake up tomorrow and be healed. He knew that wasn't even a remote possibility. Not this time. If only it could be. If only Haley could not have that broken look in her eyes that was slowly killing Nathan as well.

Nathan knew he had to dig deeper for strength, because he could slowly feel himself falling apart as well. He also knew that Jimmy was right, the best way for them to get better was by helping each other out. It just meant that Nathan needed to find his own courage so that he could share it with Haley, help her to get stronger.

They had been so close earlier in the afternoon and it scared Nathan to think that it might not happen again for awhile. Not with her parents in the next room at least. But then again who was to say that making love would make everything better? It was what Haley seemed to need to take away the pain, but would it actually work? He knew without a doubt that he lost himself inside of her, but would that be enough to make her see that life could still go on? Would that be enough for them to heal?

It had to be enough, it just had to be.

* * *

It isn't very difficult to see why  
You are the way you are  
Doesn't take a genius to realise  
That sometimes life is hard  
It's gonna take time  
But you'll just have to wait  
You're gonna be fine  
But in the meantime 

Come over here lady  
Let me wipe your tears away  
Come a little nearer baby  
Coz you'll heal over  
Heal over  
Heal over someday

And I don't wanna hear you tell yourself  
That these feelings are in the past  
You know it doesn't mean they're off the shelf  
Because pain's built to last  
Everybody sails alone  
But we can travel side by side  
Even if you fail  
You know that no one really minds  
Come over here lady

Don't hold on but don't let go  
I know it's so hard  
You've got to try to trust yourself  
I know it's so hard, so hard

Come over here lady  
Let me wipe your tears away  
Come a little nearer baby  
Coz you'll heal over, heal over, heal over someday

- "Heal Over" by KT Tunstall

* * *

**Thanks for reading and I can't wait to hear your thoughts! **

**-Kylie**


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